Unbroken
by princezsupastar
Summary: When Sakura finds herself facing a rogue ninja, she never dreamed that she would end up fourteen years in the past. Trapped in a Konoha where she must hide her true identity, she runs into a familiar face, except he doesn't seem familiar at all.
1. Chapter 1

**UNBROKEN**

_When Sakura finds herself facing a rogue ninja, she never dreamed that she would end up fourteen years in the past. Trapped in a Konoha where she must hide her true identity, she runs into a familiar face, except he doesn't seem familiar at all._

_**Disclaimer; **__I do not own Naruto or anything Naruto related. If I did, there are a lot of characters I would smack some sense into. All I really own is the plot and my mind that created said plot. Also the original characters that will randomly pop up throughout the story, they come from my own imagination._

_So this is my first Naruto-based story, one that has been rustling around in my head for months now. I was originally going to wait until I had finished my previous stories, but that may end up taking quite a long amount of time and I wanted to get this one down while it's all fresh in my head._

_It's canon up to about Chapter 488 of the manga (just after Sakura attempted to eliminate Sasuke). Everything after that hasn't occurred in the universe of this story. Why? Because when I thought it up, I wasn't that far into the manga. But it shouldn't be too much of a deal, I won't really be focusing much on it anyway._

_So please enjoy, and remember that reviews are very much loved. :)_

_The cover art is called 'Wounds aren't important' by GoldCoinSuperStar and can be found on DeviantArt._

CHAPTER ONE

It had been a very long day, that was for sure.

All Sakura Haruno wanted to do was to curl up in bed with a good book. It was the perfect weather to do so, the cool winter air breezing through her petal-coloured hair, sending a chill through her alabaster skin. She was currently returning to Tsunade's office, the Hokage having kept the young kunoichi rather busy throughout the day, running errands back and forth since the sun had risen.

Times were now peaceful, but that never meant it would last long.

Konohagakure had slowly rebuilt and repaired itself over time, it now resembled an actual village once more. However, it was nowhere near it's former glory. The villagers had been forced to start their lives over again from scratch, though most had proper housing once again. So many had lost everything dear to them, some had even relocated to other villages and towns. Those who remained loyal to the Hidden Leaf Village had stayed to help, and finally it seemed as though things were beginning to settle down and resume somewhat normally.

Sakura ran a hand through her bubblegum locks, sighing as she did so. It had been a rough two years since Pein had invaded the village and effectively destroyed most of it, two years since Naruto had defeated the enemy and returned to be heralded as a hero. She was now a woman of eighteen, although there were some days where she felt much older. Along with the other young shinobi of the village, she had been forced to mature quickly to adapt to the situations that faced them.

As Sakura walked down the street, she passed the window of a nearby store, pausing to look at her reflection that dully gazed back at her. She couldn't help but be pleased with what she saw, petal-pink tresses that now flowed past her shoulders, framing a face of creamy complexion with bright green eyes that sparkled with determination. Her breasts had finally swelled to a suitable size, nowhere near that of Tsunade's ample bosom, but it was fair to say she was no longer flat-chested. Her hips added to her womanly figure, she was now curvy yet still quite slim and toned.

Her usual attire had changed once more, this time to suit the cooler season. Her red qipao-style top had been replaced with a long-sleeved dress of the same hue and of chinese-design, similar to Ten-Ten's shirt, only her dress was much tighter and hugged her body. It ended mid-thigh but with slits on either side to make it easier for her to move, much like the dress she had worn in her younger years. The white circle on her back remained, but the white hems had gone, the material of the dress embroidered with cherry blossoms, the stitching done in a maroon hue, slightly darker than the material itself.

A black belt hung loosely on her hips, her small pouch connected at the back, her weapons pouch and tanto however were missing. The short black shorts that were paired with pink apron skirt were gone, now she wore long black leggings that reached her ankles, as they were much warmer and yet still easy to move around in. The open-toed boots had been replaced with enclosed ones that were very similar if not almost identical in style, except that her toes were no longer exposed to the elements.

The only aspect of her outfit that remained unchanged was the red hitai-ate that was nestled amongst pink locks on the top of Sakura's head, still worn in the same style. She wore it like a badge of honour, it had been in countless battles with her, always reminding her enemies that she was a proud kunoichi of Konoha and was not to be underestimated.

"Daydreaming, are we?"

Sakura broke from her thoughts to turn and face the owner of the lazy-toned voice, and gave him a smirk. "Says the man who always has his head in the clouds. It seems like you're always off in your own little world, Kakashi-sensei, always got your nose in one of those awful books…"

The silver-haired man looked down to his hand, which indeed held a small green book, the last of the Icha-Icha stories that Jiraiya had released before his death. "Ah, you got me there." he replied, sighing and clasping the book shut before proceeding to store it back in the pocket of his pants.

It had been a few weeks since Sakura had last seen her sensei, and for some unknown reason, it was comforting to be in his presence. Through everything, Kakashi had been there for both Naruto and herself, picking them back up when they had fallen, putting the pieces back together when they broke. Despite the fact that he could no longer be classified as their teacher, Sakura kept the honourable suffix attached to his name, even after his continuous requests that she drop the habit.

"Tsuande-sama is looking for you. Seems she has another errand for you to carry out." Kakashi explained to his former student, before looking up to the sky. "You might want to hurry, she wants this task done by nightfall, which doesn't leave you much time." he added, closing his one visible eye in thought. "Just make sure she doesn't overwork you."

Sakura sighed once more. She'd honestly believed that she was done for the day, hence why her return to the Hokage's office had been slow and leisurely, and she'd allowed herself to become easily distracted. All she could do was hope that once this errand was completed, Tsuande would let her go home and relax.

She gave the older man a smile. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei. I'm just hoping that once I'm done with this task, she will let me have the night off. I have an early shift at the hospital tomorrow morning and I want a nice relaxing night. I guess I should head off." she explained, before raising a hand in farewell, which Kakashi then returned in his usual indolent manner.

As the pink-haired kunoichi hurried down the street, she was unaware of the one-eyed gaze that followed her.

* * *

"There you are!"

Sakura entered Tsunade's office sheepishly, she'd hurried to the Hokage's Mansion after bumping into Kakashi and learning that the Hokage had yet another task for her, yet she knew she was still quite late from her dawdling earlier.

The woman herself sat at her desk, her chocolate eyes on Sakura as she moved her elbows to the desk and laced her fingers together in front of her, reminding Sakura somewhat of a young Sasuke. Shaking that thought from her mind as soon as it had appeared, she bowed her head slightly to Tsunade before speaking.

"Sorry it took me so long, Tsunade-shishou. I was under the impression that I was done for the day." Sakura breathed, hoping perhaps her words would change Tsunade's mind. Realizing that she knew this woman rather well and that she wasn't one to be swayed with words, the young kunoichi placed her hands behind her back and awaited to hear her task.

Tsunade raised a slender eyebrow at the girl in front of her, before leaning to the side and reaching into a drawer of the desk, pulling out a rather ordinary scroll. Sakura's features contorted with mild surprise at this, but she remained silent. The honey-haired woman laid the scroll on the surface of the desk, pushing it towards Sakura.

"This medical scroll is to be delivered as soon as possible to a small town nearby, in the west. It should only take you an hour or so to reach the town, hand it to their leader and make your way back here." Tsunade explained, leaning back in her chair. "If you go now, you should return to Konoha before nightfall."

Sakura's green eyes moved to look out the window, she could see that the sun was already beginning to set, the sky taking on colourful hues of oranges, pinks and purples. No matter how fast she was, she knew she would not return to Konoha before it grew dark. The best she could do was complete the errand swiftly and return home as soon as she was able to.

"Yes, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura nodded in understanding, moving forward and taking the scroll before placing it in her pouch that hung from her belt. She had no idea why this errand couldn't wait until tomorrow, but didn't dare question it. Tsunde had been hung-over all day and therefore in a grumpy mood. Shizune had even kept her distance, claiming that she was needed at the hospitals for surgeries. Sakura didn't want to make it worse.

"Be careful, Sakura." Tsunade warned her young apprentice, and Sakura swore she could see worry appearing on her master's features, mixed with something else that strangely looked like regret. She had no time to question it, it was probably just her eyes playing tricks on her, she was beginning to grow fatigued from constantly running around the village all day, and she wanted to get this task completed.

"I will." she answered, before bowing her head once more and retreating from the office, making her way to the west village gates.

After she left, Tsunade sighed and stood from her chair, moving over to the window. She knew what was about to happen to the petal-haired kunoichi, and the worst part was that she couldn't interfere. Things had to progress naturally, there was too much risk otherwise.

All she could do now was wait until Sakura returned from her journey.

* * *

Sakura stretched her arms above her head as she walked, giving a small yawn as she did so. The walk to the town was taking much longer than expected, she'd been certain to have reached it by now, but she hadn't seen anything even resembling a settlement of any sort. The sun had already disappeared, the darkness of night settling in. The moon was not full enough to entirely illuminate her surroundings, which put her on edge. All she wanted to do was find her destination, hand them the scroll and go home.

"Well look what we have here."

Sakura froze in her steps. The voice had come from behind her, and was unfamiliar, the tone dripping with menace. She cursed herself silently, knowing she should have kept her guard up at all times, it was one the basic rules for a shinobi. Her hand instantly went to her the wrappings around her thigh, pulling out a concealed kunai as she turned around, her jade eyes searching the darkness for the owner of the voice that had spoken to her.

He slinked his way out of the shadows, the moon dully illustrating his features. Long dark hair, sallow skin and yellowed eyes that watched her intently, their gaze unnerving. However, there was no forehead protector to be seen. He was either a rogue ninja or just a strange and somewhat creepy villager.

"Can I help you with something?" Sakura inquired, trying not to show her uneasiness, keeping her kunai poised in front of her chest. She didn't want to initiate an unnecessary battle, but if he came at her, she would be ready to take him out. The man simply grinned at her, a yellowed and sadistic smile that made Sakura's blood turn cold. She could sense his malice, and gritted her teeth. It was beginning to look like she would have to fight afterall.

"I'll be taking that scroll of yours." he announced his intention, edging closer to the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura resisted the urge to look at her pouch, where the medical scroll was currently located. How had he known she'd had it? She'd barely made any indication of carrying anything since she had been walking. The only explanation was that he had organized this as some kind of trap. But why?

"I'd like to see you try." she replied, her voice huskier than usual as she crouched lower, digging her heels into the soil beneath her. It was clear that a fight was about to ensue, and she had to keep on her toes and finish it as quickly as possible. With her eyes not being able to properly adjust to her dimly lit surroundings, she would have to rely on her other senses to defeat him.

If he relied mostly on either tai- or gen-jutsu, she would be fine, as long as his speed wasn't too phenomenal. However, if he were to use nin-jutsu, she would be at a disadvantage. Sakura was strong shinobi on her own right, but even she was aware that she was not the most powerful ninja in her village.

The man before her simply grinned again before disappearing in a small cloud of smoke. A clone, she realized, meaning that the actual one was somewhere around her, unseen in the darkness. Sakura stood still, her ears trying to detect some kind of sound that would alert her to where the real shinobi was.

A soft crunch was suddenly heard on her left, so Sakura turned in that direction, raising her arm up as she focused as much chakra as she could in her fist before driving it into the ground, causing the earth to crumble and break before her. Before she could make another move however, the familiar whistling of a kunai heading towards her caused Sakura to quickly flip out of the way, noting that the weapon had come from behind.

She gripped her own kunai even tighter, it was obvious that her opponent was using the darkness to his advantage. The weapon in her hand was the only one she had with her, having had no time to prepare herself before leaving the village, and she'd had no reason to carry weapons on her during the day. Luckily she kept a kunai on her at all time, for emergencies like this.

Suddenly the man burst out of the dark bushes and ran towards her, aiming a fist at her face which she narrowly avoided by ducking down. She swung a leg at his shins in an attempt to knock him over but his speed was much faster then hers and he jumped backwards to avoid it.

This was bad. This was very bad. If it had been day time, Sakura would have had a chance of defeating her opponent, but the way things were looking, that chance was growing smaller by the minute.

She lunged forward with a chakra-filled fist, aiming for his chest but he effectively knocked her arm aside and landed a punch of his own in her face with an audible crack, sending her flying backwards before she hit the ground with a thud. As Sakura attempted to return to her feet, she could feel something warm and sticky flowing across her mouth and realized her nose was broken.

Knowing she didn't have the time to sit there and fix it nor the chakra to waste healing her injury, she put the pain in the back of her mind and moved slowly to her feet, swaying slightly.

"Why do you want the scroll so badly?" she asked her opponent as he leered before her, watching keenly with his yellow eyes, reminding her of cat's by the way they were brightened in the dull moonlight.

"Curiosity. And a chance for a new experiment." he replied simply, cocking his head to the side.

"Experiment?" Sakura echoed, trying her best to keep her balance. If she could distract him with conversation, it would give her time to concoct a plan of attack, as well as find out his motives, which so far, she didn't like the sound of.

"Yes." he grinned, before moving towards Sakura at a pace her eyes couldn't keep up with. The next thing she knew, he was standing behind her, a kunai at her neck.

Sakura blinked, trying to understand what had just happened. Clearly this man was a rogue ninja, and a powerful one at that. His speed rivalled that of Kakashi's, and Sakura knew that there was no way she could get out of this now. Her only hope was that perhaps the man would keep her alive, or that by some miracle, another ninja would come this way and help her out.

"I've been developing a new jutsu, and I think you're just the perfect test subject." he whispered in her ear, his hot breath on the nape of Sakura's neck making her almost retch because of the grotesque stench.

"Why me?" she struggled to ask as the kunai moved closer and pressed against the thin flesh of her neck, a bead of blood appearing on the blade. She had no idea why he was explaining all this to her, he was most likely one of those awful people who liked to divulge in their plans with their victims.

"Why not?" came the sneering reply, as the kunai disappeared from her neck for a moment before the man's hand thudded on the nape of Sakura's neck to knock her unconscious, just like all those years ago when she had tried to stop Sasuke from leaving the village.

Sakura felt herself falling to the ground, her eyelids closing despite the fact that she was trying to desperately keep them open.

"SAKURA!"

Mustering all the strength she had left, Sakura attempted to open her jade eyes one last time, only catching a glimpse of silver before the lids shut heavily. It must have been a dream, a hope, a fleeting thought of being saved. The shout of a technique was heard just above her ear before everything went black.

_"Taimutoraberu no jutsu!"_

"Kaka...shi…sen…sei…"

* * *

_Here are three things you should know;_

_**1. **__This took me hours to write, and ended up getting rewritten quite a few times.  
__**2. **__I am awful at writing fight scenes. [points above]  
__**3. **__This story will get a lot better, I promise. The first chapter is always so difficult for me to write._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_I was going to wait a while before I posted the next chapter, but I couldn't wait for you guys to read it. It hasn't even been on the site for a full 24 hours and I already have six reviews, two of which were given about ten minutes after the story appeared on the story listings._

_Needless to say, I'm pretty chuffed._

_After this, updates will become more regular. I'm currently hoping to update every one of my stories once a month, maybe twice a month depending on how ahead I am on chapters/how high the demand is/how many reviews and alerts I receive. I'm not making any promises as I hate breaking them, but I will try._

_Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER TWO

The world was fuzzy.

Or at least that's what Sakura felt as she returned to consciousness and struggled to open her eyes. The last things she could remember was a hand jutting against the back of her neck, a rush of words and flash of silver before the darkness had consumed her. She blinked, trying her best to regain control of her sight. It was still dark and moonlight illuminated trees before her, indicating that she was still in the forest.

Somehow, the light from the moon above seemed brighter than she remembered.

She conceded that it must have been her eyes readjusting.

Recalling the battle between she and the strange rogue ninja, Sakura moved a hand to her pouch, and to her horror, the medical scroll was no longer within it. The man must have managed to take it from her after all. She cursed at herself inwardly, how could she have been so stupid? There had been no logical reason to engage him, especially when she had been somewhat close to Konoha.

The best thing she could have done in that situation was make her way back to Konoha as quickly as possible, and once inside the gates, the guards would have dealt with him if he followed, which she knew he would have.

As she attempted to get onto her feet, Sakura found herself swaying slightly but managed to keep her balance, her shinobi skills coming in handy for something incredibly simple. There wasn't much she could do now about the rogue ninja, he was obviously long gone and Sakura wasn't sure how long she had been out cold. Trying to track him down would be a futile effort, and she knew now that she alone would not be able to defeat him in another battle, especially as her chakra was depleted and she was fatigued.

It would be best for her to return to the village at once, report to Tsunade and explain to her what had transpired, and relay all the information she could remember of their encounter. She knew Tsunade would be annoyed that she had lost the scroll and therefore failed her small mission, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Brushing some lingering dirt off her dress and leggings, Sakura began her journey back to the village gates. Her head throbbed and her back ached from the position she had awoken in, the nape of her neck had clearly taken some damage from the blow earlier and was in quite a lot of pain. Sakura's nose was stinging, already beginning to heal in it's broken state. She didn't have enough chakra left to tend to it, that would have to wait until morning once she had properly rested, despite how much more painful it would be to break the healing bones yet again and reset her nose properly and then heal it.

Now, even more, there was nothing Sakura wanted more at that moment than a long, warm, relaxing bath. Her lips curled into a smile as she thought about what awaited her once she returned home, and with that thought she could almost feel her legs beginning to work faster. A bath would be the most blissful way to end such a stressful day.

The trees began to clear and lights from the village could now be seen, growing warmer and warmer as she approached. However, something at the back of Sakura's mind was sounding alarm bells. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen the night sky so illuminated by the village lights, it had been years. Konoha was half the size of it's former self, and therefore there had not been as many lights to generate such brightness.

She arrived at the gates, pausing tentatively as she looked in through them.

The village looked as it did in her memories. There was no sign, no trace that Pein had ever invaded, that he had demolished the buildings and left a giant crevice in the middle of the area. Sakura raised a hand to her head. How long had she been out for? Konoha had been completely rebuilt, she could see it before her very eyes. This was no gen-jutsu trick, she would have picked up on something like that straight away.

Her best bet now would be to track down Tsunade and get some answers. She strode in through the village gates, as she had countless times before, and looked to the guard-post, expecting to find faces she was familiar with, those of Kotetsu and Izumo. However, the gazes that met hers were foreign and unknown, and approaching her rather quickly.

"You! Stop right there!"

"What business do you have with the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

Sakura blinked and stepped back slightly, she had been unprepared for this kind of welcoming. As the Hokage's apprentice, she was well known within the shinobi platoons, especially as she had medically treated countless of them over time. Her unique features also helped others to remember her, not many had hair as bright as hers, nor such a hue. Therefore, it was incredibly rare for her to not be recognized.

Before she could ask the two men before just what the hell was going on, the guards spoke again, one of the pointing at the top of her head.

"Look at her hitai-ate…it's one of ours."

"But I've never seen her before…"

"She looks pretty beaten up, like she's been fighting."

"What do we do?"

"We should definitely take this one to the Hokage."

Finally, she was getting somewhere. The two guards grabbed one of her arms each, and she could tell that they also kept their free hands close to their kunai pouches. Silently she trudged along with them through the streets, her eyes focused on the ground before her as she walked, trying to get a grasp on what was happening.

This was her village, this was Konoha, that had been confirmed. But it had been years since the village looked like this, in all it's glory. The streets were filled with people, music and laughter drifting through the air. It reminded Sakura of older times, back when peace seemed to be obtainable and the world appeared to be a brighter place.

Before she knew it, they were standing outside of Tsunade's office, the door closed before them. Sakura couldn't help but smirk, knowing the wrath on the other side of the wood that would be heading in the guards' direction when she learned of how they had treated her apprentice.

One of the guards rapped on the door loudly with his knuckles, which resulted by a shout from the other side.

"Come in!"

The smirk on Sakura's face disappeared instantly. That voice had not been that of either Tsunade or Shizune. In fact, it hadn't sounded feminine at all. The men on either side of Sakura tightened their grips on her arms and pushed the door open, and she noticed with wide eyes that the office had changed dramatically, it did not resemble the one she had spent so much of her time in.

The chair behind the large desk was facing away from them, and Sakura could not see who was currently holding the title of 'Hokage'. Desperately she wished for it to be Tsuande, but the more time that went past, the more she realized that was not going to happen. Her stomach was in knots, she had a very bad feeling about all of this. Nothing made sense. Nothing was how she remembered it to be. Just what kind of scenario had she gotten herself into?

There was another man standing beside the desk, obviously the one who had called for them to enter the room. He said nothing, only looked at Sakura with dark eyes, his face betraying no emotion, strictly all business. Strangely, he reminded her of Sai.

Sakura bit her lip. Where were her friends? Were they out there somewhere in the village right now? Had they forgotten about her? She suppressed the thought instantly. First she would have to find out just what the hell was happening before she would allow herself to think of such things.

"Hokage-sama, we found this woman entering the west gates of the village with a Konoha hitai-ate on her head. However…we have no idea who she is. Neither of us have ever seen her before." one of the guards spoke, glancing briefly at his partner.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows together in frustration. If only they had given her a chance to explain before marching her to the Hokage…

"Have you asked her about her identity?"

The voice sent a chill down Sakura's spine, her eyes widening to the point that they were in danger of leaving their sockets. She knew that voice. Despite not having heard it for years, she knew every tone, every octave. How…how was that even possible?

Her eyes somehow managed to widen even further with horror as the chair turned around, confirming her thoughts.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, otherwise known as the Third Hokage, was sitting behind the desk, watching her intently with his aged eyes, one white eyebrow slightly cocked up in surprise. Sakura stood frozen, unable to move or speak, her mind in overdrive.

The Third Hokage was dead. He had been dead for six years. How was he sitting before her now, as if nothing had happened?

He leaned back in his chair, mulling over his own thoughts. "Your reaction surprises me. Do you know me, child?" he spoke directly to Sakura, who simply nodded in reply, despite that he had referred to her as 'child' as she hardly felt like one. "Your hitai-ate, may I inquire as to how you received it?" he probed for more information.

Sakura gulped before managing to respond. "It was given to me upon graduating from the Ninja Academy of Konoha. You…you were there, Hokage-sama." she added, looking around nervously before her eyes caught sight of a simple calendar hanging on the wall near the Sai-looking man.

She squinted her eyes in order to read it properly, it was indeed the same day that Tsunade had sent her on errands, she could see that clearly, but what had happened?

Then her gaze moved to the year that was printed on the date.

"Fourteen years?" she gasped softly, unknowing of any of the others had heard her. She clasped a hand over her mouth. That couldn't be right. There was no way such a thing could happen. She knew of space-time nin-jutsus, but nothing that could achieve something like this.

Yet - everything fell into place. Konoha was still intact and had not been destroyed. The Third was sitting before her, clearly still alive and unknowing of his future demise. The guards at the gate had not been Kotetsu and Izumo who had been there for years now, they were unknown faces who had no idea who she was.

She was currently fourteen years in the past.

The Third looked to Sakura, concern and curiosity appearing in his wrinkled features. "Fourteen years?" he echoed, prompting the pink-haired girl to explain her exclamation.

She tried to compose herself for a moment before answering. "According to the year that is printed on that calendar," she indicated to the item on the wall, "I have somehow travelled into the past. The year where I have come from is in fourteen years from now."

Sakura was trying her best to keep calm, despite the rush of immense emotions that were desperate to be released. She couldn't afford to freak out right now, not until the entire situation had been assessed.

The old man's dark eyes widened at her words. "You say you are from a time yet to come?" he spoke slowly, trying to comprehend the information as best he could.

"All I know is that I was running an errand, delivering a scroll to a nearby town for…my shishou, when a rogue ninja attacked me. He claimed that not only did he want the scroll I was carrying, he also wanted me for an experiment, to try a new jutsu on me." Sakura sighed as her jade eyes trailed to the floor. "Seems as though it worked."

The Third gave her a worried look. "It seemed as though you had been through a tough fight, Your clothes might have faired well but the blood from your broken nose is evidence enough."

Sakura instantly raised a hand to her face, wincing with pain as her fingertips brushed over the broken bone from her nose. The blood had dried, but she could still feel it on her skin and grimaced slightly, her want for a bath increasing tenfold.

The guard on her left suddenly moved forward and spoke. "How can we know that what this girl is saying is the truth? She could easily be trying to infiltrate the village."

Sakura threw a glare in his direction as The Third spoke again.

"Despite how unusual the circumstances are, I have not found any reason to doubt this woman. There have been reports of other space-time techniques that have been developed and have had similar effects, although none of them on such a scale."

Sakura took in a deep breath, trying her best to keep calm so that could better understand her current situation. What would happen next? Would she ever be able to return to her own time?

Her thoughts moved to Tsunade, Naruto, even Kakashi… would they notice that she was gone?

"What is your name?"

Her attention returned to the elderly man before her as she realized she hadn't even introduced herself yet.

"Haruno Sakura, Hokage-sama. I'm a medical kunoichi, born and raised in Konoha, the first shinobi of my family." she explained, trying to give simple yet important details.

The aged Hokage raised an eyebrow. "A medical kunoichi?"

Sakura nodded. "I am one of the best in the village, the apprentice of Tsunade-sama."

A smile formed on the Third's lips. "Tsunade you say? You must be talented then if she has taken you under her wing." he said before his features hardened once again with seriousness.

"I assume that the younger version of yourself would currently be residing within Konoha?" came the nest question, taking Sakura by surprise. She hadn't even considered that. Of course, fourteen years ago she was a young girl of only four, living with both her mother and father in a small apartment in the middle of the village. What would be the odds that she would come across herself?

"Yes, I would be four by now."

"I see."

The Third stroked his beard thoughtfully before sighing. "I have to say, this is certainly a situation I could never have foreseen. We will try and find a counter technique that will return you to your own time, but until then you will simply have to remain here in the village and keep out of sight. There is a good chance you will come across those who are your family, friends, mentors, however you are not to engage them. No-one is to know of your true predicament, you are not to reveal anything that could affect events to come, no matter how tragic the outcomes may be. Even revealing to me that Tsunade is your shishou could be dangerous information. You must be careful, tampering with what is your past could result in dire consequences for the future, where you are from."

Sakura bit her lip. She had honestly already pondered about what would happen if she were to give vital information to those who needed it, to warn the Third that his life would be ended in a battle with Orochimaru after the Chūnin Exams, to find Jiraiya and ask him about his former student who would eventually become Pein and not only kill his sensei but destroy the village, to try her best to prevent the annihilation of the Uchiha clan that would occur in three years from now.

"I understand, Hokage-sama, but I can't just sit around and wait until I can be returned home. That could take weeks, even months. Even if I can't carry out any duties as a shinobi, I would still like to be able to put my medical skills to use and at least have a job at the hospital, that way I can be useful and have something to occupy my time. I can simply explain that I have come from a small town in Fire Country, and that my skills have been passed on through my family." Sakura protested, clenching her fists with determination.

The Third moved back in his chair once more, closing his eyes in thought.

"As long as you do not compromise yourself or your situation, I don't see why not. You will, however, have to remove your hitai-ate from sight and make sure no-one is aware that you have it, or questions will arise. I also suggest that you find yourself a new name."

"…actually, I would prefer to keep my own name. I might have to disguise everything else about my true identity, but that is the one thing I want to keep." Sakura exclaimed, resolve in her words. If she were to be called any other name, it would remove any sense of reality she had left. "I would of course invent a new surname for myself, and keep my distance from my actual family."

The Hokage sighed. "Fine. For now, you can stay at the nearby inn. I will organize for the owner to allow you to live there until the time comes for you to return home, but you will pay for your own food and necessities. I will find someone to accompany you around the hospital tomorrow and 'show you the ropes' as it were. She will meet you at the inn at nine in the morning." The Third informed Sakura before turning his eyes to the guards on either side of her. "You two, take her to the inn and tell the owner that I've asked that she can stay the night. If he has any issues, tell him to bring them to me."

The two men looked unsure of the entire situation, but nodded and bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

The Third turned to the other man that stood silently beside him. "Junichi, I need you to head to the hospital and find Rin for me, then bring her here so that I may speak with her." The dark-eyed man nodded before promptly leaving the room.

_Rin._ Sakura could have sworn she had heard that name before.

She had no more time to think about it before the two guards ushered her out of the Hokge's office, mumbling to one another as they did so, Sakura ignoring their words as her head tried to get around everything that had transpired. She was too tired to deal with this all right now, once she had a bath, some food and a long night of sleep, she would be able to feel refreshed and coherent the next day to properly analyse her situation.

Yet at that moment, all she wanted to do was go home.

* * *

_Here are three things you should know;_

**_1. _**_This is the longest chapter I have ever written for any of my stories.  
**2. **It took me over seven hours to write, edit, and put on here. With a few breaks in between, of course.  
_**_3. _**_It's been irking me lately that the time-travel fics I have been coming across don't seem to understand that messing with the past can alter the future. And that the character is open about who they are and where they are from, and their friends, while at first initially surprised, then just seem to accept it and everything is fine and dandy. It makes no sense to me. Rawr. /rant_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_And I'm back! Had some health issues the last week or so and haven't been able to concentrate on writing. Throughout August updates will be less frequent as I have lots going on, I'm turning 24 (I seriously do NOT feel that old) and my best friend is getting married and I'm the maid of honour. Plus those aforementioned health issues._

_But no need to worry, I will still try my best to write and get new and exciting chapters to you._

_StoryReader9 brought up a good point in their review, stating 'But wasn't Rin already gone by then?' The thing is, it's not even stated if she is dead or alive. It's presumed she is deceased, as she was shown when Kakashi died (yes, spoilers, although if you didn't know this already, you probably shouldn't continue reading the story) along with Obito and Minato. _

_It does show her as her thirteen-year-old self, but as it is never specifically said when she did die, I'm using my creative liberty to have her in mine at eighteen. It shouldn't ruffle anyone's feathers too much, if anyone does have a problem with it, I apologize. However, I won't refrain from having Rin in this story. She's a rather important part of it._

_Lastly, I just want to thank all the readers for your amazing support. I can't describe how proud I feel when I receive a notification for a review, a favourite, even a follow. It inspires me to keep writing because I know you all enjoy reading this story already as much as I do creating and writing it. So thank you. It means a lot._

_I'll stop babbling on now so we can get to the chapter. It's my longest thus far. Over one thousand more words than my last chapter. Just to keep you guys enthralled whilst I work on the next one._

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved._

CHAPTER THREE

That had been an awful nightmare.

Sakura shot up in her bed, her fists curled tightly around the sheets as she attempted to open her blurry eyes and regain her coherency. She'd been dreaming about being sent back to the past, a time where the Third Hokage was still alive and had spoken to her, a time where no-one was allowed to find out who she was, where she was not able to carry out her shinobi duties.

She finally managed to open her jade-green orbs, only to shut them tightly mere seconds later.

The room she had seen was unfamiliar. It was not her bedroom, it was not Ino's house, nor Naruto's, where she would go after a night out on the town when she was too tired or drunk to make it back to her own place. It was the room in the local inn she had seen in her nightmares.

Not nightmares, she realized with horror. Her memories.

Reluctantly, Sakura's eyes opened once more, and she cringed as she remembered her predicament. She was not home. The village she was in may have resembled it, but this was not were she belonged. She was trapped in a place that was not her own, with no idea of when she would be able to return to her rightful time.

Something splashed on the back of Sakura's hand that was sitting on her lap, it was then that she realized she had begun to cry. She hadn't had any time to really think about everything, to sit down and just let it all sink in. Once she had reached her little room at the inn after speaking to the innkeeper and quickly demolishing a filling meal, she had been so tired and practically passed out on the bed.

Hot tears began to stream down her face, out of her control despite her best efforts to keep them contained. She was a proud kunoichi of Konoha, and shinobi did not let their emotions get the best of them. Sakura attempted to wipe them away hastily from her cheeks with the back of her hand, but they did not falter.

Soon, her petite body was overcome with loud sobs, the more she tried to withhold her emotions, the more she failed to and the louder she cried. She felt helpless at that moment, so lost and confused. For once in her young life, Sakura didn't have the answer, the solution. She had no idea what was going to happen.

She just wanted to go home.

Eventually the sobs subsided, and with a few loud sniffs, Sakura headed to the adjoined bathroom to clean herself up and attempt to look decent for her first day at the hospital. Well, technically her second first day. Just that thought threatened a headache, so she let it go and concentrated more on her reflection in the small mirror.

Her green eyes were slightly blood-shot, the hue intensified by her face which was now puffy and flushed red from her breakdown earlier. Streaks of tears wove their way over her grime-stained cheeks, dried blood on her upper lip. Her pink tendrils were sticking out at all different directions, the direct definition of bed-hair. She looked terrible, and it reflected how she felt on the inside as well.

Sakura's broken nose instantly caught her eyes, it was crooked at a strange angle and had already begun to heal itself. She winced, knowing what had to be done.

Taking in a deep breath, she lifted one chakra-filled fist to her nose and quickly punched it, re-breaking the bones that had started to set. Blood instantly began to gush from her nostrils once more, trailing over her pink lips and splashing crimson droplets into the basin below. Sakura held in a cry of pain, her eyes watering up again from the stinging pain, but she had no time to let them fall.

Manoeuvring her nose into the correct position took a few minutes, and once Sakura was satisfied with the resulting look, her hand began to glow green with chakra as she healed the twice-broken bones, feeling the relief almost right away. It took her almost no time at all to return her nose to normal, and once done, it looked just as it had beforehand. Sakura admired her handiwork for a moment before turning to the combined bath and shower.

Having somehow managed to strip herself of her clothes before falling onto the bed and passing out the night before, Sakura was left only in her underpants, which she quickly slipped off before stepping into the shower, turning the handles. As the water hit her skin, the refreshing sensation was almost instantaneous as she tried to get the temperature of the water just right - not too hot, yet not too cold.

She'd been too tired to have her desired bath the night before, despite having both blood and dirt on her skin. A shower had been out of the question as well. As soon as she'd entered the room, she'd only had one thing on her exhausted mind, and that had been rest. She was still amazed that she'd somehow managed to get her boots off before succumbing to slumber.

A bath that morning would have been amazing and just what she desired, but Sakura knew she did not have the time, that a simple shower to clean herself up would have to do. Luckily she had been provided with a small amount of soap, shampoo and conditioner, as well as a simple white towel and bathrobe.

As Sakura poured some shampoo into her hand and then transferred it to her damp petal tresses, she couldn't help but think about that day she had ahead.

The Hokage was sending someone to her room that morning, a guide of some sort to show her around. Both she and The Third knew Sakura did not need to be shown her way around Konoha and the hospital, as she knew them just fine, but it was to keep up appearances.

She was supposed to be a simple young woman who had only recently moved to Konoha in hopes of pursuing a career as a professional medic. Sakura had already created a new surname for herself, as well as a backstory in case anyone got curious. She knew she would have to be on high alert and not let anything slip, if she was to come across someone she knew, she was to act as if it was her first time ever seeing them.

Sakura wasn't the best actress, but she knew how to make a lie convincing. She was a kunoichi, afterall. It was part of their basic training.

Rinsing her hair of the shampoo, she then proceeded to put the conditioner through her bubblegum locks and lathered her body up with soap, wincing at the amount of dirt that was now lining the bottom of the tub. She made a mental reminder to have the bed changed sometime that day, knowing that some of that grime would have been transferred to the sheets during her sleep the night before.

Her thoughts returned to her scheduled morning, she only had a small amount of time to finish her shower and get dressed before her 'guide' would arrive.

_Rin. _

That name entered her mind again, but the pink-haired girl couldn't put her finger on where she had heard it before. Obviously it wasn't anything too significant, or she would have remembered instantly. Still, not knowing bugged Sakura. She prided herself on her smarts, even when outwitted by the likes of her sensei and Shikamaru.

Rinsing off her body and her hair once more, Sakura stood under the water for a moment longer before reluctantly turning the water off and stepping out of the shower. Sakura took the towel that hung on the rack provided, quickly patting her body dry before wrapping up her hair within it. Once that was done, she took the bathrobe and wrapped it around herself and made it back to the bedroom, picking up her discarded underpants on the way back.

Unwrapping the towel around her head and then proceeding to dry her hair with it, Sakura's stomach grumbled with the need for breakfast. She sighed, knowing she had just enough previsions to last her until she received her first pay check from the hospital. Groceries would be delivered to her that afternoon, courtesy of the Hokage. Until then, she had no food to fill her hungry belly.

Once her hair was done, still damp but no longer sopping wet, Sakura removed her robe and began to dry herself properly. She couldn't help but wonder what awaited for her at the hospital. She knew all the procedures, and was one of the best medics in all of Konoha, but she was aware that she'd be starting at the bottom of the ladder and would have to work her way up, yet still keep discreet and out of sight. The less others noticed her, the better.

Once completely dry, Sakura slipped her underpants back on and began to dress herself in the only outfit she had with her. Picking up her dress, she frowned. Despite the material being red, she could still see droplets of crimson blood on the hem, and mentally reminded herself that as soon as she had any money, clothes would be the first thing on the list of things to buy alongside groceries. She couldn't go around every day in the exact same outfit. Something similar perhaps, goodness knew how many copies she had of each outfit in her wardrobe at home. But the exact same dress every single day? No amount of deodorant or perfume would be able to cover the sweaty smell of everyday life, day after day.

Her dress, tights and boots on, she reached over and picked up her hitai-ate, moving to tie it around her head out of habit before realizing that the Hokage had ordered her to keep it out of sight. Her arms falling to her sides, she held it in her hands above her knees, the pad of her thumb brushing lightly over the engraved insignia of Konoha. It had been an integral part of her everyday attire for many years. Now, she was forbidden to wear it, out of concerns it could jeopardise her situation.

With a sigh, Sakura leaned over and placed it in the bedside drawer, keeping it hidden.

A few moments later, a rather loud knock sounded at the door, prompting Sakura to move to her feet and stride over to it, turning the handle to reveal a girl about the same age, who wore a rather large grin on her face.

"Sakura-san?" she asked, blinking at Sakura with chocolate brown eyes.

"That's me." Sakura replied, somewhat hesitantly.

The girl's smile grew wider before she bowed her head to Sakura, who instantly returned the gesture before the cheerful stranger spoke again.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Rin. The Hokage sent me here to be your guide through Konoha. He also said I was to show you the ropes at the hospital."

So this was Rin. A girl slightly taller than Sakura, with beautiful mocha-brown hair that was worn in a loose pony-tail down Rin's back, longer than Sakura's own but not by much, her bangs worn in a similar style. Her hitai-ate was worn across her forehead, it's material black in colour. She wore a lilac coloured shirt with sleeves that reached mid-way down her forearms, a black vest-like halter neck top over it. A cream-coloured apron-skirt covered black shorts that ended just above her knees, and bandages covered her calves with simple open-toed shoes completing the ensemble.

Rin's most defining feature was the two rectangular markings on either side of her face, royal purple in colour. Sakura was instantly reminded of Kiba, who had similar markings, except his were more fang-like and red instead.

Sakura couldn't help but feel drawn towards this girl, her cheerfulness was almost like that of an addictive drug. The only thing she found curious was that she had never seen this girl before, nor anyone who looked similar. The pinkette knew many of the villagers around Konoha, so she found this fact to be incredibly strange.

"Should we head off then?"

Rin's bubbly voice broke Sakura from her thoughts, and her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment as she realized she'd zoned off into her own mind. She turned to look back at her room, quickly taking the key that the innkeeper had handed to her the night before, the key to her room.

She moved out of the room, Rin stepping aside as Sakura closed the door promptly behind her and locked it, before placing the key in the pouch that hung from her belt.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"So where are you from?"

Sakura's snapped out of her thoughts, she'd been off in her mind yet again as Rin had been walking alongside her, babbling on about the facts of Konoha, things that Sakura already knew. She'd tried to be polite and pretended to look interested, but in the end she'd simply gone off in her own little world, still mulling over everything that had happened, nodding every once in a while to Rin to keep up the pretence that she was listening.

"A simple town, south of Konoha. It's really small, you've probably not even heard of it." Sakura replied quickly, hoping Rin wouldn't ask any more questions about the town itself. "My family have been the local medics there for generations, except I wished to learn more after being taught everything they knew. So I moved to Konoha and applied for a job at the hospital. And here we are."

Rin nodded. "I understand. I love working at the hospital, being able to heal those who are injured and sick. It gives me a lot of pride, knowing that I am helping others. My family thinks it to be a worthless profession but I wouldn't give it up for the world."

Sakura's eyes glanced over to Rin once more, a slender pink eyebrow raising in surprise at Rin's words. Her family didn't think much of her being a medic-nin? Did they not realize how important they were to a shinobi team? She couldn't help but wonder if Naruto, Sai, Yamato or Kakashi would still be alive if it hadn't been for her healing abilities.

Still, she did not press Rin for further information, afterall, the two had only just met.

"Me neither."

With Sakura's agreement, the two continued to stroll towards the hospital, Rin resuming her knowledge of Konoha trivia, the petal-haired girl beside her trying her best to feign interest.

* * *

"Arisu-sama!"

An elderly looking nurse turned around to face Sakura and Rin as they entered the hospital, the woman's wrinkled face breaking out into a kind smile. It was yet another person Sakura had never met before, and she could only assumed that the woman had retired long before Sakura had started her apprenticeship and begun to take shifts at the hospital.

"Ah, Rin-chan, I was wondering where you had gotten to." The woman's dark blue eyes turned to Sakura. "Who is your friend?"

"Hayashi Sakura." she introduced herself with a respectful bow, using her conjured up surname for the first time. She'd kept the same initial, as it would allow her to maintain her signature if it was to be needed, which was common when working in a hospital. She'd also used the fact that she first arrived in this time in a forest, so it wasn't just some random name she had picked out. It held meaning for her, which Sakura felt was important when creating a new alias for yourself, especially one you would be using for an unknown amount of time.

"Sakura-san has her first shift at the hospital today." Rin explained, the smile never leaving her face for a moment as she looked between the older woman and the bubblegum-haired girl.

Arisu raised a grey eyebrow at Sakura.

"What are your qualifications?"

Sakura cleared her throat. She desperately wanted to reveal that she was incredibly talented in all fields of medicines and was an expert with poisons, but knew she had to keep those truths to herself.

"In my town, my family are the local practising medics. I have basic knowledge of medicine, but I have come here to learn more." she replied, giving the older elderly medic a smile.

"Well, you might have some potential, but for now, we'll have to put you on the front desk." Arisu replied, and Sakura had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything in response. She had been downgraded to a receptionist. Here she was, possibly the most talented medical kunoichi of her generation, the apprentice of Tsunade herself, and yet she was forced to sit behind a desk and answer phones.

The older woman turned around then, heading down the hallway. "It's time for my rounds, Rin-chan, show Sakura-san to the desk and then you are needed in room nineteen." she called over her shoulder, before turning a corner and disappearing from sight.

Rin turned to Sakura and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. She can be very strict, always going by the rules, but I promise, she's a total softie once you get to know her." the brunette spoke, as she indicated for Sakura to follow her through the hallways.

Sakura almost dismissed Rin, to tell her that she already knew where the desk was located, but she knew she had to keep up with appearances. This was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought. All she could do was hope that she would get through it without any errors or mistakes, and that she would be returned home soon.

"Here we are! It seems the others are busy today, so you'll have to man the desk by yourself. Shouldn't be too hard, all you have to do is answer the phone and direct visitors around. All the information about the patients and what room they've been assigned to is on the chart behind you."

Sakura sighed as she looked at the chart and then to the desk and the unorganized mess of papers that were strewn across it. At least she would have something to keep her busy and distracted for a while.

"Thanks Rin." she turned to the chocolate-haired kunoichi beside her, who simply grinned in return. "Good luck. I'll come and check-up on you later." Rin grinned again before she strode off towards the patient's rooms.

With another loud sigh, Sakura moved behind the desk and took a seat in the chair, eyeing the colossal amounts of papers that lay before her. She laced her hands together and stretched out her arms in front of her torso, cracking her knuckles rather loudly before she began to immerse herself with organising the papers.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the front desk was now free of any papers, and Sakura had even taken the liberty of giving it a wipe-over. There had been phone-calls here and there, family members and friends of patients arriving to see their loved ones, but nothing too exciting. Sakura had been pleased to have a lunch break, especially when she was given a free sandwich and orange from the woman in the cafeteria when she revealed she had no money just yet as it was her first day and she wouldn't have any until her first pay check arrived. It had been the highlight of her day to satisfy her hunger.

It was some time later that afternoon that Rin approached Sakura, a guilty look on her pretty face.

"…how are you with practising routine check-ups?"

Sakura blinked, not expecting that question on her 'first' day. "Fairly competent. Why?"

Rin cringed and bit down on her bottom lip.

"My…my brother has come in for his check-up and most of the other nurses are on lunch or busy with other patients, leaving me as the one do perform it. The only problem is…Yuji and I…we don't exactly get along."

Sakura frowned at this, she'd only known Rin for a few hours and could already deduce that she was a friendly, sweet, intelligent girl. She remembered what she had said earlier, about her family thinking her profession to be worthless. She could sense that Rin was uncomfortable about it all so she instantly got to her feet, holding out a hand for his chart. If she could prevent Rin from having unfortunate dealings with her family members, then she would.

Rin smiled gratefully at Sakura, a look of relief appearing on her face as she handed the chart over to the pinkette. "I really appreciate this, Sakura-san. Tell you what, I'll take you out for dinner tonight, my shout." She also took the stethoscope that hung around her neck and placed it around Sakura's. "You might need this too, since you don't have your own."

Sakura couldn't help but grin at the prospect of getting a free meal, and the chance to perhaps form a friendship with Rin. It would certainly make her stay a lot less boring. "Just call me Sakura, and we have a deal." she replied.

Rin gave a light chuckle before nodding. "Alright Sakura, it's a deal."

"I'll meet you here after I'm done. Shouldn't take me too long." Sakura added as she glanced up a nearby clock on the wall, before leaving Rin and making her way to the check-up room.

Looking through the chart that Rin had handed to her, Sakura's eyes scanned the details. _Nekozuka Yuji, twenty-one years of age, blood type A positive._ A slender pink eyebrow raised at the surname, Rin had never revealed it to Sakura, and it certainly rose her suspicions of there being a link between Rin's family and Kiba's clan.

How had she not heard of this family before? The name certainly was not familiar on it's own.

She pushed open the door, her eyes instantly meeting that of a rather large black cat that looked more like the size of a panther, hissing at her entrance into the room, it's fangs bared. Her jade-eyes wide, she pressed her back flat on the now-closed door, cursing Rin momentarily as she believed it to be some kind of cruel prank until a voice spoke.

"Ankoku, leave the poor girl alone."

Instantly the large feline closed it's mouth and was rendered silent, moving towards a man who sat in the check-up chair, an amused look on his face, a hint of a smile on his lips. His eyes were raven black, his brown hue of his hair lighter and warmer than Rin's. On his face were the same purple markings, and he wore the standard Konoha Jōnin uniform, except that the sleeves of his navy shirt were much shorter than most and his arms were covered in bandages.

"Sorry about that. Ankoku doesn't like strangers, he tends to become defensive."

Sakura quickly regained her composure and simply nodded in response as she made her way from the door, laying the chart down on the nearby desk. "It's fine." she breathed, managing a polite smile. "It was just a shock, that's all."

She pulled the stethoscope from around her neck, noticing that it was lavender purple in colour. It must have been given to Rin as a present. Sakura remembered her own pale pink one that had been given to her by Shizune when she had passed the Jōnin exams with flying colours. Tsunade had never looked more proud.

Yuji's dark eyes noticeably narrowed when he saw the stethoscope, and Sakura realized that he must have recognised it as his sister's. Instead of dwelling too much on it, she moved over to the man.

"Take in a deep breath through your nose, and let it out slowly through your mouth." she instructed him, and he complied silently. The large cat had moved to the corner of the room, watching Sakura very carefully with scrutinising yellow eyes. She wondered if the beast could talk, or not, like Akamaru.

After checking his heart, circulation and lungs, Sakura moved the stethoscope around her neck again and ticked off the necessary boxes on his chart. "Okay, I'm going to need you to stand up and move over to the measuring tape on the wall so I can write down your height."

Once again, Yugi did as he was told, although a scowl had appeared on his lips. As Sakura moved over to him to record his height, he finally spoke again.

"Are you a friend of my sister's?"

Sakura did not respond, instead she focused more on completing this check-up. She could tell that Yuji had become somewhat annoyed since he had seen the stethoscope, his features darkening by the minute. When she had first arrived, he seemed just like a normal, average guy, friendly even. Now it seemed like there was a lot more under the surface.

Yuji sighed audibly before he spoke again. "That's Rin's stethoscope."

Guiding Yuji to the scales so she could measure his weight, Sakura broke her silence. "She lent it to me for this check-up, as I don't have one of my own just yet." she explained, jotting down the numbers on his chart. "Now if you could hop up on the bed, I'll check your body for any abnormalities."

Yuji raised an eyebrow, but complied yet again, taking off his flak jacket as he moved towards the bed before laying upon it, sighing.

"I know she sent you to do this because she didn't want to face me. She knows that I think she's a disgrace to the family." he spoke offhandedly, and Sakura repressed the urge to smack him across the face. "I get that medics are important, but our clan have always been partnered up with felines. Rin turned her back on the clan and it's heritage, choosing to study medic nin-jutsu instead. She is the weakest link within our family, I'm surprise our parents have been so tolerant of her. If it were my child, she'd be disowned."

The beast Ankoku purred loudly in agreement, his unnerving stare never leaving Sakura's form.

As Sakura hovered her glowing green hands across Yuji's body, the need to beat the living daylights out of him was increasing. Rin had told her that her family thought her career choice was worthless, but not that they all disapproved of her simply for choosing such a profession. This was on a whole other level.

Once done, Sakura stepped back and picked up the chart once more. "You're in perfect physical condition." she announced, glancing over at Yuji who smirked arrogantly as he slipped his jacket back over his arms.

"However, you should really consider just how useful medics can be in battles. You might come to regret it when you're lying in a ditch somewhere, bleeding to death with your team-mates dying around you. Maybe then you will be able to realize just how integral a medical shinobi might be in a squad. But sadly, by then it will be too late."

Yuji's eyes widened at Sakura's outburst, she simply smiled sweetly at him in return. Ankoku growled menacingly, but the petal-haired girl simply ignored it.

"Have a wonderful evening, Nekozuka-san."

With that, she turned and made her way out of the room, feeling rather proud of herself for standing up to him and saying something in defence of Rin. All she could do was hope that her little speech would not backfire on Rin in any way. That hadn't been her intention. She couldn't understand how Rin had dealt with such negativity from a family member.

Her own parents, whilst sceptical at first, had fully supported her desire to become a ninja. Then when she had revealed that she planned to become a medic, they had been over the moon. She'd been lucky to have such a supportive family. She just wished that Rin could have been as lucky as her.

The girl in question appeared in front of Sakura as she returned to the front desk, an apprehensive look on her face. It was obvious that she had been worried about Sakura meeting Yuji. "How was it?"

Sakura placed the chart in the file desk before handing Rin's stethoscope back to her.

"Your brother is an ass. I couldn't help but say something, I am sorry."

To Sakura's surprise, Rin laughed. "Actually, I'm pretty impressed that you did. Yuji can be rather intimidating, I never have the guts to say anything." she admitted, looking considerably happier, which made Sakura grin.

"Well, it looks like our shifts are over, shall we head to dinner?"

* * *

_ Here are three things you should know;_

_**1**. Yes, I have taken full creative liberty with Rin and given her an actual backstory, including disapproving brothers. It makes her seem more like an actual person to me, and helps you understand the person whom she is, what has made her like that. I hope I don't upset anyone with it, I know there are readers out there who tend to stay away from stories with OC's. But they're not going to be a major focus in the story so please don't be too worried._

_**2.** Yes, I gave Rin a surname. Yes, it is rather similar to Kiba's. Some believe Rin might be a member of the Inuzuka clan, because of the marks on her face resemble that which all of the Inuzuka members have. However, Rin's markings are a different colour and shape to those of the Inuzuka Clan. So I came up with my own speculation that their families are linked in some way, and gave Rin's families cats instead of dogs. Inu is Japanese for dog, Neko is Japanese for cat. So I simply switched the two and ta-dah! Once again, I know this might irritate people. It shouldn't be too much of an issue, once again, it's not really an important detail. Just one I thought might be interesting._

_**3.** I know a lot of you are wondering where Kakashi is. He will be arriving in the next chapter, I promise. It's going to be a very, very interesting meeting between he and Sakura. So keep an eye out for that update. _

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_I totally love you guys. Your support has been amazing. At first I was nervous entering into the world of Naruto fanficiton, as my fandom for it is quite newer than my fandoms fro Sailor Moon and DBZ (which are what my other fanficitons so far have been based on) and I wanted to make sure the characters were true, as was the story. We're only three chapters in and already the support has been overwhelming, with the lovely reviews and amounts of favourites and follows. Please keep them coming!_

_I've realized now that this story will pretty much be from Sakura's side of things. I was going to have it from both she and Kakashi, but I think it works better from just her point of view. Trust me, it will be good. And very Kakashi-licious. There will be drama, romance, angst, sorrow, humour, so many wonderful things wrapped up into this story._

_I promise, you're all in for a good ride._

_That being said, the following chapter is not my best work. I apologise in advance. I've just been so sick lately and writing didn't come as effortlessly as it usually does. It's not awful writing, mind you, just not a chapter I'm entirely proud of. But then again, if you guys like it, I'm probably just underestimating myself._

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved._

CHAPTER FOUR

"Was that your stomach?"

Sakura's cheeks reddened with embarrassment as her stomach rumbled loudly once again, causing Rin to chuckle. The brunette had taken Sakura to Shushuya, the local Chinese restaurant that also doubled as a pub, and had been one of Tsunade's favourite places to go in the evenings for a drink to relax before the building had been destroyed bu the invasion of Pein. Sakura had come to Shushuya many times in her youth, but had never been old enough to truly experience it's ambience.

The restaurant was quite large, with pillars that supported the building and high ceilings with multiple small lights beaming down on the patrons below. Along one wall was a bar with stools that displayed most of their alcohol, the main area covered with multiple wooden booths for the customers to sit in. Rin and Sakura were seated in a back corner, where they had a good view of the place and yet could remain undisturbed from the others.

Shushuya was full of shinobi, Sakura was aware that is was the ideal place for ninjas to come and unwind after returning home from long and perilous missions, or for one night out before gearing up to depart for one. She'd spotted a few somewhat familiar faces, of older shinobi that she knew simply from passing them in the streets or treating them in the hospital. There was no-one there of any significance, she'd already scanned the room for any sight of her honey-haired mentor, but Tsunade had not been seen.

It was probably for the better.

She gripped the cup before her and took a swift sip of the sake within it, the alcohol burning her throat in a familiar and strangely pleasant sensation. As she set it down, she gave Rin a small smile. The two had been sharing small talk, Rin discussing the many facts of Konoha once again, as well as the events of their day so far. However, the petal-haired girl was more interested in getting to know Rin properly, and that meant getting all the juicy details about the sweet and friendly brunette.

"So Rin… you're a ninja?"

The question was a simple and obvious one to begin with, but it appeared to do the trick. Rin's hand subconsciously moved to her forehead to brush her fingertips across her hitai-ate before she answered Sakura's question.

"Yes, although these days I focus more on working in the hospital than going out on actual missions. Of course, when a medical shinobi is needed I will go, but as I am no longer part of a proper squad, missions for me are rather rare."

The cheerful smile on Rin's face suddenly faltered with what Sakura suspected was sadness. Her curiosity got the better of her, and so she prodded Rin for further information.

"If you don't mind me asking… what happened to your squad?"

Rin looked up to Sakura with surprise, it was obvious she had not been expecting to be asked such personal questions on their first day of meeting one another. But it appeared she trusted Sakura somewhat as she took a drink from her own cup before proceeding to explain.

"Both my sensei and one of my team-mates have passed away. My other team-mate has since joined ANBU and is away often with them on extensive missions. We rarely see one another these days."

Sakura's mouth gaped open slightly, and she couldn't help but feel sorrowful for the other girl. If she had lost both her sensei and one of her team-mates…the possibility was too upsetting to bear.

Kakashi dying in battle was something she'd never even though possible, despite having learned from Naruto only recently about his demise at the hands of Pein. She'd refused to believe him. The famous Copy-Nin was a formidable opponent, and one of the greatest ninjas in the world, and Sakura knew he could take care of himself. In the event that Kakashi did find himself defeated and killed, Sakura knew she wouldn't handle the news very well.

Despite having known Naruto for much longer and having such a difficult beginning to her eventual friendship with Sai, she couldn't bear to think of no longer having the eccentric artist around. He was almost like a child, constantly learning and truly experiencing life for the first time and actually allowing himself to feel and experience a whole range of his emotions that before he had never thought possible. To have that cut short was an awful concept.

Losing Naruto was something she had never considered, and wouldn't plan on doing it anytime soon. She refused to think of such an occurrence. The loud blonde was by far her best friend, and in her eyes, the saviour of the shinobi world. She'd never come across anyone else like him, and despite being quite young, knew she never would. He was a one-of-a-kind, the future Hokage, a person she thought of as more like her brother than anyone else.

Rin observed the bubblegum-haired girl curiously with her chocolate orbs before she cocked her head to the side.

"Have you ever been in love, Sakura?"

Now it was the pinkette's turn for shock to appear on her face, it seemed Rin was changing the subject and now turning the tables on her. Her cheeks flushed, her green eyes turning to look at the table.

"Once."

Sakura knew her feelings for Sasuke had been more than just a simple crush, that she wasn't just another of his fan-girls who simply fawned over him for his brooding good looks. When she was younger, yes, that had indeed been the case, but after they had become team-mates, she had been able to see the side of Sasuke that others rarely got the chance to. Simply put, he was broken. And Sakura had believed that she could have been the one to put the pieces back together, to show him that there was still good in the world and that he could be truly loved for the person he was deep down, not just for his surname or his appearance.

"What happened?"

Sakura cringed as she remembered the last time she had seen Sasuke, when she had been determined to finally take him out and end the suffering of herself, Naruto, their friends, Konoha. One look at him, to those empty obsidian eyes that held no sign of any emotion whatsoever, and she'd known the boy she loved all those years ago was no longer there. He had been nothing more than a shell of the Sasuke she had shed so many tears over, he had changed into a monster she didn't know, and didn't want to know.

"He died."

Her answer was somewhat truthful, at least it felt so in her heart.

Rin's features turned sorrowful. "I'm so sorry."

Sakura waved a hand in response. "There's no need for your sympathy. I've come to terms with it over time, and grieved. Instead of dwelling on the past, I try my best to look forward to the future."

How ironic that statement was at that precise moment.

The girl across the table from her smiled. "That's a good philosophy."

Having brought up Sasuke, Sakura could feel her emotions flaring up and threatening to spill forth if she was unable to keep them at bay. She tried her best to ignore them and move forward, but that didn't mean that it didn't still hurt to think about the raven-haired boy.

In an attempt to distract herself from her inner turmoil and return the spotlight to Rin, Sakura leaned forward on the table, resting both her elbows on the wood as she smirked at the brunette.

"So what about you, Rin? Got a crush on anyone?"

Sakura's words caused Rin's face to instantly turn bright red, much to the pinkette's amusement. She hadn't expected such a response to her question.

"It's not just a crush, I do love him. It's just… complicated."

Sakura raised a slender pink eyebrow at this comment.

"Complicated?"

"Well you see, he's my-"

"Rin!"

Both Rin and Sakura's eyes turned to look at who had disrupted their conversation, the latter looking slightly irritated. She hated being interrupted.

A handsome young man walked up to their table, and instantly Sakura recognised him as being from Rin's family as the same purple markings adorned both cheeks. He had a ponytail that trailed down his back with shaggy bangs that were swept to the side of his forehead, the same hue as Rin's hair. His eyes were also the same chocolate shade. His outfit was simple, a grey long-sleeved shirt that had a black line from the neck to the bottom at the front, his black hitai-ate tied around his neck in a style that reminded Sakura of Hinata. Black shorts ended just above his knees, his legs covered with mesh and then black and white wrappings that ended halfway up his shins. Black sandals completed the outfit, flaring out above his heel.

"Ryou!"

The man reached the table, a beaming smile on his face that Sakura noticed was returned with a grin as equally bright from Rin.

"I didn't realise you were back from your mission already! I thought it was to last another week!" Rin exclaimed, scooting over in her seat so that the newcomer could sit.

"Luckily for me, we found the thief quite quickly, the idiot liked to linger around the places he was committing his crimes at. We had a boost in our pay checks for such an efficient job and I got to be home for our birthday." Ryou explained, before his eyes turned to Sakura, who was sitting opposite the two with a blank expression on her face. "Who's your friend?"

Rin slapped her forehead with embarrassment before shooting an apologetic glance at Sakura..

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? Ryou, this is Sakura. She's new in town, I was given the duty of showing her around and helping her get settled at the hospital. Sakura, this is Ryou, another one of my brothers."

Ryou smiled warmly at Sakura before turning to Rin, quirking an eyebrow up at her.

"Another one? Who has she had the displeasure of meeting already?"

His sister sighed.

"Yuji. She was lovely enough to cover for me and do his check-up for me."

Ryou made a face that caused Sakura to chuckle, and his eyes turned once more to the pinkette. "Hope he wasn't too much trouble, he tends not to think before he speaks. I can assure you, we're not all that bad."

Sakura simply gave him a knowing smile.

"He wasn't too awful, although I do have a feeling he will watch his mouth when he's around me in future."

Rin, having been told in full detail of Sakura's comments to her obnoxious sibling, gave a chuckle. Ryou looked confused, but seemingly decided not to ask further about it. Instead, he focused his attention on his sister once more.

"As much as I would love to stay and chat, I should really head home and have a shower, I guess I'll see you there later. By the way, have you invited Sakura to our party? It might be a great way to introduce her to more people from the village."

Ryou stood up from the booth, giving both girls a grin and a wave of farewell before disappearing from the restaurant. Rin blushed scratched at her scalp in embarrassment.

"I promise, I was going to ask you to come before he said anything, I was just planning on bringing it up later." she explained.

Giving the other girl a comforting smile, Sakura sat back in her seat.

"I understand. And of course, I would love to come. Although, did he say 'our' party?"

"Oh, yes, he did. Ryou is my twin brother."

That would explain why he had acted in such a way around his sister. Sakura knew that Rin's family had been harsh towards her due to her decision to follow the medical path instead, but she hadn't seen any of that in Rin and Ryou's interaction. There was certainly a strong bond between the two, and Sakura found herself feeling somewhat grateful that not everyone in Rin's family were like Yuji.

Before she could say anything more on the subject, their meals finally arrived, the plates covered with aromatic steam that made Sakura's mouth water and her stomach grumble loudly with anticipation. She looked up at Rin with a grin.

"Let's eat!"

* * *

It was a few days later that week, and Sakura found herself observing her reflection in the rather large and ornate mirror before her. She was in Rin's bathroom, having been dragged to the brunette's house after they had finished their shifts at the hospital to get ready for the party that evening. Having no new clothes to wear, make-up to apply or hair products to style with, Rin had demanded that Sakura come to her house so she could assist the petal-haired girl with such things.

Now Sakura found herself wearing clothing of Rin's that she had instructed the pinkette to wear, a halter-neck dress that was emerald-green in colour. It clinched in at the waist and flared out over her hips, ending just above her knees. It was paired with simple black pumps and a simple black belt with a love-heart to the side over her waist. A gold necklace hung just above her chest, with an intricate butterfly charm.

Her long pink tresses now hung in bouncy curls around her head, her bangs simply swept to one side. Her make-up was simple and she hadn't needed to put much on, her complexion had been no need for foundation nor blusher, all she had used was a hint of eyeliner to bring out her jade orbs, mascara to accentuate her already long lashes and a hint of lip-gloss to taint her cherry-lips a slighter deeper hue.

Satisfied with what she saw, she returned to Rin's bedroom where the other girl was just finishing getting ready herself. Sakura couldn't help but admire the girl's style, despite having been in the past, Rin certainly knew good fashion.

The brunette was also wearing a dress, this one of a deep royal purple like the markings on her face. It clung to her toned body, showing off the girl's womanly curves which were normally hidden by her usual attire. The dress had long sleeves, and large shoulder-pads that Sakura would normally find ridiculous, but had to admit that they looked good on Rin. The dress was short, reaching down mid-thigh, but matched with black stockings and black Mary-Jane pumps, similar to the ones Sakura was wearing, save for the straps and buckles on Rin's.

Her hair was down and free of it's ponytail, hanging loosely around Rin's face. Her make-up was the same as Sakura's, except she had used some eye-shadow the same hue as her dress. She was currently putting on a gold necklace with a thunderbolt charm, one that Sakura couldn't help but find interesting.

One her necklace was on, Rin looked up at grinned at Sakura.

"That dress looks fantastic on you, better than it ever has on me." she commented, causing Sakura to blush faintly.

"You look amazing too, purple is definitely your colour." Sakura replied, thinking of Ino, the only other person she knew who wore purple all the time as well. It was interesting, as the two had different colouring, Rin with her brown hair and eyes, Ino with her bright blonde hair and cerulean eyes. And yet the same colour worked on them both.

Rin sighed, causing Sakura to tear herself away from her thoughts and look at the brunette.

"Sounds like people are beginning to arrive, we should head downstairs."

Sakura nodded mutely, unsure of what exactly was to happen now, so she decided to simply follow Rin and allow the other girl to lead her for the evening. Following her down the stairs, Sakura was suddenly greeted by a growl as she reached the bottom and turned to see the source of the noise, frowning slightly as her eyes met Yuji and panther-like cat, Ankoku.

His upper lip curled with what looked like disgust as he saw his sister, disappearing instantly as his gaze met Sakura's and she gave him a sickly-sweet smile.

"Nekozuka-san, how are you feeling? Still healthy, I hope?"

He said nothing, and it was then that Sakura was made aware of the other man who stood beside him.

"I take it this is Rin's new medical friend."

Sakura's jade orbs moved to speaker, and once again, she saw that this was another of Rin's brothers, his markings just like those of Rin beside her. How many siblings did the girl have?

He was somewhat stoic, his features hard. His hair was the darkest brown of the Nekozuka siblings that she had met, and his eyes were not brown like the other's, but raven-black. He wore a moss-green shirt that was paired with a long black coat, the collar turned up, the sleeves short. His arms were covered in wrappings, his hands adorned with black fingerless gloves. He wore his hitai-ate around his waist like a belt, wearing simple black pants that ended mid-shin. His legs also bore wrappings, his sandals also black and standard.

Sakura also noticed there was a large white cat standing beside him, one that was slightly bigger than the other black feline and was clearly scrutinising the pinkette with it's yellow eyes.

Rin shifted uncomfortably beside Sakura, a movement that the pink-haired girl did not miss. It was clear that there were issues between Rin and this new sibling.

"Sakura, this is my eldest brother, Takeo, and his partner, Katsuo."

That was all the introduction she gave him in stark contrast to the one she had given Ryou only days earlier.

Takeo lips moved into a disapproving frown before he turned on his heel and moved from the room without a sound, Yuji and Ankoku following behind him.

The white cat remained behind, moving closer to Sakura and sniffing her quickly with it's pink nose before moving back once more and narrowing it's eyes at her.

"I will discover your truth."

With those cryptic words, it turned and followed in the direction of it's partner.

Sakura turned to Rin, who was biting her lip, a habit which the pinkette had discovered the other girl did quite a lot, especially when her family was being discussed.

"Are you alright Rin?"

The brunette looked up and gave Sakura her best attempt at a cheery smile.

"I'm fine, really. To be honest, I'm used to the scrutiny. Takeo disapproves the most of the family, although he isn't as vocal about it like Yuji. He's always been disappointed with me." she admitted, running a hand through her long chestnut locks. "But enough about that, let's introduce you to some new people!

* * *

It was sometime later that Sakura felt the need to get some fresh air, and found herself making her way to the backyard, which for some strange reason was shrouded in darkness, the lights from within the house only dimly illuminating the bushes near the door in which she had exited through. Beyond that was completely black, and she found it oddly comforting.

She made her way through the various plants, only just making out objects with her keen kunoichi eyes. She came across a wooden bench that sat before a pond, she could hear the frogs, crickets and various other creatures making their natural music as she sat down and sighed outwardly, enjoying the cool night air that danced along her exposed skin.

Despite having been in this current time for a few days now, Sakura didn't think she'd ever be able to adjust properly. Already she'd come across people she knew, having met a very young Kiba, his sister Hana and his mother Tsume earlier. It had been strange to see the canine boy so small, his features chubby and less fierce than the ones she associated with him at home.

She leant back on the bench, looking up at the night sky, her mind wandering.

The one thing she disliked was not knowing. Not knowing when she'd get back to her own time, not knowing if it would even be possible to develop a reversal jutsu without knowing the exact one that had sent her to the past in the first place.

If the worst happened and Sakura found herself trapped here, would she be able to make a new life for herself? Would she be able to sit idly by while her memories occurred before her eyes? Leaning forward, her eyes now closed as she thought of Sasuke.

She knew, deep down in her heart, that if she were to stay, she would do everything in her power to ensure that he did not become the monster that she knew he was in her own time.

A rustle of bushes nearby broke Sakura from her thoughts as her eyes snapped open, her head turning to the direction from which the noise was heard. A few moments later, a figure appeared before her, all she could see was their shadowy outline as they stumbled forward and landed on the bench beside her, causing her to gasp in surprise and scoot towards the edge.

The unknown person regained themselves momentarily and managed to sit up, leaning towards Sakura who felt her body instinctively moving away at the same distance, but to no avail as the distance between her and the newcomer grew smaller and smaller.

"H-py birtd-y, Riiiin."

As the slurred words were spoken, Sakura's nose was ambushed by the pungent aroma of alcohol that had escaped from the stanger's mouth. However, before she could correct the person and inform them that she was not in fact Rin, lips were crushed against hers.

Her first kiss.

By a complete, and not to mention drunk, stranger.

And yet… there was something that her brain was desperately trying to add up in her head.

The baritone voice, despite having been altered by alcohol, she knew well.

Those lips against hers, it was if else had been in the way. Some kind of material, as if the person had been wearing a mask.

There was only one person she knew in all of Konoha who wore a mask.

Recoiling in horror, her eyes widened as realization hit her, only to be blinded moments later by light flooding the area as the house's outer lights were turned on. The crunch of footsteps alerted Sakura that another person approached them, unseen by her as she had raised a hand to her face, to shield her eyes as they attempted to readjust to the sudden illumination.

"Sakura, I was just looking for you."

Once her jade orbs could see somewhat normally, Sakura turned her gaze to the person that now stood before them, relieved momentarily to see Rin's grinning face before the brunette's chocolate gaze moved from her own to the person beside her, and she spoke words that made the petal-haired girl's blood run cold.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up, Kakashi-kun."

* * *

_Here are three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ I am a sadistic author, and I love giving you all cliffhangers. But of course, I make it up to you guys for having to deal with my sadism._

_**2.**__ Before you all get angry at me and demand my head on a stake, I did promise you all Kakashi, and I did deliver. You can't argue with that._

_**3.**__ Rin doesn't have any more siblings, I swear. Just the three. Once again, I know there are people who dislike OC's, and these are the only ones in the story. And once again, not a huge part of the story. Just part of flashing out Rin's backstory. They will be somewhat important later, but not a great deal. _

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :) _


	5. Chapter 5

_Whoo, update! I think I'm going to try and keep them weekly. Main word there being try. I don't like making promises, especially when my crappy health prevents me from keeping them most of the time. _

_The response to this story has been nothing short of amazing. You guys make me feel so special and I'm just so chuffed that you like it as much as I love writing it and sharing my crazy ideas and imaginations with you. I hope you all stick with me until the end, despite my cruel love of cliffhangers. :P_

_ALSO I put a link up to my DeviantArt account on my profile, where I will be uploading this story as well, and updating where I'm at with writing and having discussions about stories. If you have a DA account, please add me! I'd love some more friends on there._

_I'm gonna keep this short and sweet, and as always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER FIVE

_"I was wondering when you were going to show up, Kakashi-kun." _

Rin's words echoing in her mind, Sakura's green orbs widened as her head slowly turned to see her companion. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, loud enough that she was sure the others could hear, her fingers gripping the sides of the bench on which she was sitting upon. This couldn't be right. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be-

Yet what met her eyes confirmed that this was indeed real. There was no mistaking that copious amount of tousled silver hair that spiked up from his head, nor that dark material that covered most of his face from the bridge of his nose downwards. The most noticeable difference at first glance however, was that the hitai-ate that usually covered his left eye was missing, revealing the long pink scar that ran across it and down his cheek.

Kakashi was currently sitting next to her.

Both eyes were open now, and looking at Sakura. She did her best to avoid the crimson sharingan, focusing on the obsidian eye on the right instead that met her jade gaze. Sakura could tell that his eyesight was hazy from the alcohol he had consumed earlier, but the shock of the situation between them was slowly beginning to sober him up.

"This is Sakura, my new friend from the hospital. She's only recently arrived in Konoha."

Rin's voice broke Sakura's gaze as her eyes moved to look at the brunette, she'd momentarily forgotten that she had been standing there. She'd been so focused on meeting someone she technically already knew and had for roughly six years that she's failed to notice Rin's continued presence. Guilt seeped in as she managed a smile, trying to cover her lapse in memory.

"We were just getting acquainted." she told Rin, somewhat a lie and yet there were some truth in her words. The technically had been 'getting acquainted', just not in the traditional sense, the one Sakura preferred over random, drunken kisses. She looked over to Kakashi who managed a small nod in agreement with her statement before he closed his left eye, blocking off the sharingan much to Sakura's relief.

He turned to look at the girl who stood before them. "Sorry I'm late, Rin." he spoke, this time his voice clearer, the tone smoother and less slurred.

Rin smiled at Kakashi, her cheeks flushing pink. "I'm just glad you made it."

Sakura couldn't help but move her eyes back and forth between the two, there was definitely something there but what that thing was, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The way Rin was looking at the man who sat beside herself, it was similar to the way she had once looked at Sasuke, not to mention the honorific she had attached to his name.

Not only that, but Kakashi had drunkenly mistaken herself for Rin and kissed her. That wasn't something people normally did with their friends.

_"It's not just a crush, I do love him. It's just… complicated."_

Rin's words from their talk days earlier sounded inside Sakura's mind once more. She hadn't stated that she was actually in a relationship, just that she was in love. It wasn't difficult right now for Sakura to figure out just who with. The look on the brunette's face said it all. It was just the complicated part she didn't quite understand, as it hadn't been able to be explained due to the interruption of Ryou.

"Of course." Kakashi responded to Rin, forcing Sakura out of her thoughts as her head turned to look at him once more, just in time to see his dark eye crease with what she knew to be a smile hidden beneath his mask. "It's your birthday. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

He stood up, and it was then that Sakura noticed why Kakashi looked so different to her eyes. She had always known him dressed in the standard Konoha Jōnin uniform of a dark long-sleeved shirt, dark pants and olive green flak jacket, which was not what he was currently wearing.

Kakashi was dressed in an ANBU uniform instead.

He had a top of dark material connected to his mask that covered his torso yet left his arms bare, with standard pants of the same colour that ended just below the knees. His sandals wrapped around the lower halves of his legs, hiding the shin guards that most ANBU ninjas wore as standard safety protocol. Long dark fingerless gloves adorned his arms, covered in metal arm guards as well as the two metal plates across the backs of Kakashi's hands, like those he wore in Sakura's time. Grey metal armour over his chest completed the outfit, and Sakura knew that his ANBU tattoo was now visible, but could not see it from her side of him.

Sakura knew that her sensei had once been among their ranks, although she hadn't known when he had left the ANBU to be a simple Jōnin and then become their teacher. She'd seen Yamato in his ANBU uniform a few times, but it was nothing compared to the sight before her.

Her sensei seemed slightly shorter and even leaner than she remembered him to be, obviously due to him being fourteen years younger. The tight material of his uniform strained across his toned back, his muscled upper arms bare to be admired. Sakura couldn't help herself but let her eyes wander across his form before remembering herself and just who this man before her was.

Kakashi was her sensei. The man who had been teaching her how to be the best ninja she could be since she had been twelve. The man who was always late, and always had his nose in a filthy book. He was ancient in her eyes, always had been. Just because they were strangely now of similar age did not mean that he would be any different. She just had to keep reminding herself that this man before her was the very same Kakashi she had left behind in her own time.

"I think I might head inside." Kakashi exclaimed, moving towards Rin, his body swaying and stumbling ever so slightly, the effects from the alcohol still present within him.

However if Rin noticed, she said nothing about it.

"I'll see you in there soon." the brunette replied as he moved past her, her keen eyes never leaving his figure.

As Kakashi headed to the door, he pulled something out of his pocket, which Sakura realized was his hitai-ate. He wrapped it around his closed left eye, tying in around the back of his head before entering the house and disappearing from the gazes of two pairs of eyes, one chocolate brown, the other jade green.

Once he had gone, Rin turned back to Sakura and made her way over to the bench before sitting down next to the pinkette, sighing dreamily as she placed her hands on either side of her body, just behind her backside and leaned backwards slightly, her face tilting up to the sky, a smile on her pretty face.

Sakura watched the girl with a hint of amusement on her features, but also sadness. It was certainly somewhat cute to be witnessing the look of a girl who was obviously in love, but it hurt to think that she had never had that look herself. She'd only ever loved Sasuke, and he'd never really even looked twice at her. She had no reason to ever look so content with her romantic feelings.

Rin cracked an eye open and rolled her head to look over at Sakura. "So what did you think?"

Sakura blinked, unsure of what to make of the question.

"What did I think of what?"

Rin's lips grew wider as her cheeks flushed redder. "Of Kakashi-kun!"

Making sure to keep her mouth in a smile, Sakura frowned inwardly.

_Well, he was drunk and kissed me thinking I was you, and he's going to become my sensei in the future and read porn novels in broad daylight and he will __**never**__ show up on time for anything. _

That was what she wanted to say, but instead she kept this to herself and lied through her teeth once more.

"He seems nice."

Rin seemed to accept this response happily, and turned her face back to the night sky once more.

"Is… is he your boyfriend?"

"No. Well, not yet. Maybe one day, I hope."

Sakura's eyebrows raised with surprise. "One day?"

Rin looked over to her petal-haired friend again.

"Remember when I said to you that I loved someone, but it was complicated? Well, Kakashi-kun is that someone. And it's complicated because of our history."

Their history? Sakura's curiosity was definitely peaking now, but before she could urge Rin to explain more, the brunette spoke again.

"But all that can wait for another time, we should be back in the house celebrating my birthday, not dragging up old, hurtful memories."

Moving up from the bench, Rin grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled the pinkette along, much to her chagrin. She'd wanted to learn more, and knowing that the object of Rin's affections was the very man who was to become her sensei and therefore be a large part of her teenage life was an interesting discovery.

Before the re-entered the house, Sakura paused and unseen by Rin, brushed her fingertips over her lips. Her first kiss had been stolen by Kakashi.

When she returned to her own time, she was going to give him hell over it.

* * *

A few days later, the pinkette found herself struggling to open the door to her room, fiddling with the lock desperately for it to open until the doorknob finally turned and the wooden door swung open.

Sakura practically fell through the doorway, her arms laden with various bags of food items and new clothing. She'd finally received her first pay check from working at the hospital, and had practically spent most of it within only a few hours. Shopping had been exhausting, usually she brought along Naruto to help her with carrying the bags - he'd continuously fallen for her charms as she'd asked him to somewhat become her own personal pack mule, and he'd happily agreed, even if it was just to simply to spend more time with her.

She sighed, wondering what her blonde team-mate would do if he were the one in her situation. She doubted he'd be able to keep himself hidden and unknown. His personality was infectious, they way he interacted with others was something to be behold. She could feel herself starting to miss his laugh, the way he'd sling his arm around her shoulder before she shot him a look that would make him remove it instantly.

Trying not to think about her friends and how much she was beginning to miss them, Sakura instead concentrated on getting everything organized. The bags with clothes lay on the bed for now to be sorted later, all cold items were placed in the small refrigerator immediately. There was a small cupboard to the left which she used as a pantry, stocking it will all the ingredients that would be fine at room temperature.

Luckily her room contained a small kitchen, which was enough for just one person to use but miniscule compared to the kitchen in her apartment back home. She was an avid cook, having learnt from mother and often had friends around for meals. Having the bigger kitchen in her apartment had made it easier to cook larger portions of food when she found herself entertaining guests.

Feeling nostalgic, Sakura set about making herself some simple pork ramen for dinner. She'd made it many times before when Naruto had come to visit, and although she knew it would never be as good as Ichiraku, the blonde had still claimed that it was a close second, which at the time had made her swell with immense pride.

The room grew dark quite quickly, as the night began to settle in. Sakura had worked into the late afternoon at the hospital, still stuck behind the desk and answering phones, although she'd been given a few patients to perform check-ups on, which had been a nice and much-needed change of pace. She switched on the light to illuminate the room, continuing to cook away, her stomach rumbling with the delicious aroma that began to fill the air and the anticipation of food.

Soon, all parts of the meal were cooked and ready to be properly prepared into her bowl, and Sakura could see that the room was filled with steam that fogged up the closed windows. The ventilation in her new home was clearly awful, and she made a mental note to crack the opens open slightly in the future when she cooked. The smell that lingered was mouth-watering, but Sakura knew it would be too much when she began eating. She needed clean, fresh air to properly enjoy her meal.

Moving over to the window, she raised the panel up ever so slightly to let some of the steam escape into the open night air before wiping down the glass with the edge of her sleeve so she could see outside.

When a mask of a dog suddenly came into view, she promptly screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped back, landing hard on the floor with her backside, her heart pounding in severe shock.

As her eyes fixated on the window before her and her breathing was heavy as her heart tried to steady itself into it's usual rhythm, the wearer of the dog mask slid the window upwards so they could manoeuvre themselves into the room before sliding the pane back down again once they were inside.

The figure turned to Sakura and began to approach her, hands out before themselves in a gesture of surrender.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the ANBU who stood before her, wondering why the hell they were even hanging around her windows in the first place. But as the figure removed their mask and revealed themself to her, she just wanted to close her eyes and curl into a ball until they would go away. Far, far away.

The one person she had to try her best to avoid was now standing before her, watching her intently with a single eye as he bent down slightly, offering a hand to aid Sakura in standing up..

"I'm fine, just don't ever do that again." Sakura grumbled with annoyance, ignoring the outstretched hand before her and stubbornly returning to her feet shakily and unassisted.

Kakashi stood back, folding his arms over his chest, keeping his obsidian orb on her form. Sakura wanted nothing more than for him to just leave and not come back. She was not meant to have any sort of contact nor communication with anyone she knew in her own time. Kakashi was an integral part of her life, and she had made a mental note to keep away from him. Things had already been made worse by their meeting a few nights prior.

"Sakura, right?"

She looked at him when he spoke, her green orbs scrutinizing him before she nodded.

"Erm… sorry about the other night."

He was actually trying to apologize? Sakura grimaced.

"Is that usually how you introduce yourself to a girl?"

Sakura knew well enough by now that Kakashi's cheeks were flushed right now with embarrassment, hidden under that infernal mask. She could see the skin under his eye altering colour slightly, the telltale sign. Despite never having seen his face in it's entirety, Sakura could read the silver-haired man like a book. She doubted his younger self would be any different.

"No, I-I don't make a habit of drinking, but a friend of mine challenged me to a competition, and wouldn't take no for an answer."

Immediately the pinkette knew exactly whom Kakashi was referring to. The green jumpsuit clad Gai had been in a never-ending competition with Kakashi for as long as she'd known them, and it had been going on for years prior to her being aware of it. The two were almost like children in a way, yet Kakashi usually tried his best to get out of such mediocre challenges.

"I'd be more careful next time." she warned, moving over to the kitchen and setting about completing her dinner. It was then that she realized she'd made enough for two, and turned around to the man who still stood within the room, watching her. A mischievous smirk appeared, perhaps this could be her perfect opportunity to see her sensei's face, a much younger version of it at least.

Even if that didn't work, she would have an opportunity to find out some valuable information.

"Um… did you want some ramen? I've made a bit too much."

She knew it was a strange request, especially as they did not know one another at all (well, in some sense at least) but it was still worth a try.

Kakashi's eyebrows raised in mild surprise but he didn't question her offer, simply nodding his head before taking a seat at the small table in the middle of the room that the pinkette had set up just before his sudden arrival. Sakura dished up the two bowls and carried them to the wooden frame, setting one bowl before her companion and one on the other side of the table for herself as she sat down.

Trying her best to be inconspicuous, Sakura averted her eyes from Kakashi, allowing herself to glance quickly at him every now and then. The man was clearly eating his food, every time she looked up from her own bowl, she could see that his was becoming emptier. He was using the same tricks that he'd used on her for years, using his speed to his advantage.

"So, how do you know Rin?"

Kakashi looked up from his food to meet Sakura's gaze.

"We were on a squad in our youth. We remain friends."

His answers were short and to the point, not what Sakura wanted to hear.

"Just friends?"

He looked at her pointedly.

"I mean, you were going to kiss Rin for her birthday. That seems a little beyond just friendship."

Her blunt words affected him, she could see from the way his eyebrows furrowed together.

"I was inebriated, and in my forgetfulness of buying her a gift, I thought that a simple kiss would suffice. I didn't realize I was going to kiss the wrong girl."

Sakura's eyebrows narrowed as she ignored the warmth that flushed across her pale cheeks.

"Well maybe next time you kiss someone, you should make sure it is the right person first."

Silence filled the room, only to be broken every so often by the sounds of slurping and chopsticks scraping along the sides of the bowls. Sakura was so caught up in her thoughts that she forgot to look up at Kakashi who had taken the opportunity to pull his mask down as he gulped down the remnants of the ramen from his bowl, before covering his face once more and setting his bowl down on the table with a dull thud.

"Thanks for the meal."

Sakura looked up at him, realizing her missed opportunity and inwardly scowling before finishing her own dinner. Once both bowls were empty, she took them up to the sink, placing the plug down and filling the sink with hot water, adding in dishwashing liquid that she had bought earlier. The smell of strawberries hit her nose and she inhaled pleasantly, happy she had found the liquid in such a scent. She quickly put the bowls into the water, allowing them to soak for a few minutes before she could properly wash them and the other cooking utensils she had used.

Behind her, Kakashi slowly and silently returned to his feet. As he stood, he proceeded to stretch out his long limbs before wordlessly approaching the window.

"Wait!" Sakura spun around to face him, causing him to freeze in mid-motion, his eyebrows raised in surprise that she had known he had moved.

"Before you go, tell me, what were you doing hanging outside my window in the first place?"

Kakashi cocked his head ever so slightly to the side before giving her a non-committal shrug. "I was just hanging around."

Sakura raised an eyebrow questionably. "You weren't trying to perve on me, were you?"

What was visible of his face began to turn red. "I'm not a pervert!"

Sakura let out a chuckle as she recalled the many times she'd seen him reading Jiraiya's erotic fictions, but inwardly, she was seething with anger. She'd had a suspicion that the Hokage hadn't trusted her as well as she'd originally thought, and this was the proof. It was now evident that he had been sending out ANBU to keep an eye on her.

"Well don't try catching a peek or you'll end up being sorry for it the rest of your life."

Kakashi didn't respond to her threat, instead he slid the window up, climbed back through before closing it behind him and jumping out of sight.

Sakura moved over to the glass, frowning. Her interaction with Kakashi had certainly been interesting, she could tell he was the same man she'd known for years, and yet somehow he was different. As if he wasn't complete yet, like there were a few things missing about him.

The most curious thing was the relationship between Kakashi and Rin. She'd never heard her sensei speak of her before, nor had she known he'd ever been in love. She knew she'd heard Rin's name before, but it had no come from Kakashi's lips.

Why hadn't he ever spoken of her? Why hadn't Sakura ever met her?

All Sakura did know that was the sooner she was back in her own time, the better.

* * *

_Here are three things you should know;_

_**1**__. Yes, this chapter is short, and yes, I apologize. I just had so many issues with writing it, I knew which direction I wanted it to go, the writing didn't just flow for me like it usually does._

_**2.**__ There's going to be a relationship-building for a while, but there is some action and citrus down the line. This story is going to have it all. Drama, action, angst, romance, sorrow, you name it. _

_**3**__. I wrote down a basic plot outline of all the chapters, at this point this story will be roughly 24 chapters long. Which doesn't seem like much, but I like to write loooong chapters. And there's a good chance this will change as I keep coming up with more ideas and plot twists. So this will probably be a lot more chapters. We shall see what happens._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :) _


	6. Chapter 6

_This was due to come out in two days (Monday morning my time) but I thought I would be nice and update it early (Friday morning my time). I am unashamedly in love with this story and every time I get to share a little bit more with you, it has an amazingly positive effect on me. Sharing your ideas and imagination with others can be a pretty daunting thing, especially when there is a potential for negative opinions, but all of you have been so fantastic and lovely with your reviews, I could gush on about it to no end (but I won't, so don't worry, haha)._

_The feedback has been interesting, there are some people who have had suggestions that I've actually already planned, and others have had some that I've considered and added little details here and there. Thank you guys so much for the support. I know I go on about it every single chapter, but I feel the need to express my immense gratitude and appreciation._

_Fingers crossed we can get this story to 100 reviews!_

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER SIX

"Sakura-chan, I'm promoting you."

The pinkette stood up from her chair with a start as she heard the older woman speak, her slender eyebrows raising in surprise.

"R-really Arisu-sama?"

The elderly nurse chuckled at Sakura's obvious enthusiasm, her dark blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Yes. From now on, you will be in charge of the protocol check-ups. Of course, you'll need your own stethoscope, so all the nurses pitched in and got you a present."

Arisu handed over a long, thin black box to Sakura, who took it into her hands eagerly. It had only a little over one week since she had begun working at the hospital, and already she had been given a promotion. She knew it was simply because the others had taken note of her medic abilities and were aware that she was too skilled to be working behind a desk and having the menial task of answering phones all day, but it still stirred up some pride to know that she was doing a good job.

Her fingertips brushed over the box gently before she tenderly opened it, revealing her very own stethoscope. It looked just like the one she owned back in her own time, but where that one had been pink, this one was mint green.

The nurses had been so kind to her in such little time, and for them to present such a gift to her made Sakura's heart swell with gratitude. She could feel the moisture begin to build up in her eyes, happy tears brought on by the lovely gesture.

She looked up at Arisu, her jade-orbs shining.

"This is so nice, I…I don't know what to say."

The elderly nurse simply chuckled again as her beaming grin grew even wider. "No need to say anything, Sakura-chan. Just do a good job and help us keep everyone happy and healthy."

With that, she sauntered away from Sakura's desk, heading towards a nearby patient's room, leaving the pinkette to marvel at her gift. She'd had no regrets about asking the Hokage to let her work in the hospital whilst she was stuck here in this time, it felt somewhat rewarding to still be of use to the village she loved so much.

Now if only she were able to train and spar with someone, she'd feel complete and just like her usual self. Unfortunately, that was a definite no-go. The kunoichi within her had to keep hidden at all costs. There was no way she could afford to raise suspicion.

"Do you like it?"

Sakura looked up to see the owner of the voice, her lips curving into a smile when she saw that Rin was standing before her, leaning on the desk as her chocolate-brown gaze held the stethoscope in that was still in Sakura's hands.

"The other nurses wanted to get you a pink one, to go with your hair, but I thought this one matched your eyes." she exclaimed, grinning.

Sakura wasn't sure her smile could grow any bigger. "I love it, thank you."

"It's no problem. It's customary around here to get someone their own stethoscope when they get their first promotion. It's how I got mine." Rin explained, indicating to the purple one that was hanging around her own neck.

"Is your shift almost up? I thought we could get some dinner tonight and hang out."

Sakura looked over at the clock, pleased to see that it was just on four in the afternoon.

"I'm officially done now, and yes, I would absolutely love that."

* * *

The two medics walked through the village, Sakura enjoying the afternoon sunshine. It was beginning to get warmer in the weather, which had been a nice change. Lately, her shifts had all been late ones, yet today she had been granted with a four o'clock finish. It gave her time to just enjoy the rest of the day, usually when she finished she made her way back to her room at the pub, made dinner, showered, and slept. It wasn't much of a life, and she missed social interactions.

While her normal life, the one back in her actual time, was much the same, there were always gatherings of friends, people showing up on her doorstep of an evening and inviting themselves to dinner or dragging her out somewhere. Sakura's only real friend here was Rin, and the brunette had a busy schedule herself, so they couldn't hang out all the time.

The only other interaction she'd really had was with Kakashi. Which was forbidden in her mind. Not only was she someone from his future, she hadn't found herself to be able to tell Rin about their dinner encounter a few nights earlier, worried that it might cause strain between the two girls. Rin had admitted to being in love with the silver-haired man, and Sakura did not want to get in between that.

Even if he was ridiculously good-looking in his ANBU uniform.

Scowling inwardly at herself as that thought flittered through her mind, she quickly quashed it. Kakashi was her **_sensei_**. A perverted man who was much too old for her, not to mention exasperating. She shouldn't even have had spoken to him, knowing that the interaction could have dire consequences on the time she hailed from.

Sakura had been lucky enough to head to the library on one of her breaks and find a book on the subject of time-travel. Her biggest fear was the possibility of creating an alternate timeline by her existence in her own past.

According to the book she had read, time travel had the possibility of actually creating a new timeline that diverged from the original timeline at the moment the time traveller appeared in the past. The other possibility of this was that the traveller could have arrived in an already existing parallel universe, although unless the parallel universe's history was identical to the time traveller's history up until the point where the time traveller appeared, it was questionable whether the latter version qualifies as 'time travel'.

She knew there was no chance she was allowed to interact with her younger self, and anyone else she was close to was off-limits. She could not afford to change her own history at any cost, there was even a possibility it could affect herself as a person.

Even though part of her wished she could change specific events, such as the Uchiha massacre and everything that had transpired during the Chūnin exams, they were experiences that had shaped her become the woman she was today. If Sasuke hadn't left the village that one night when they had been only twelve, she wouldn't have been so determined to bring him back, and doubted she'd be half as strong as she was now.

It was all very confusing for Sakura. Despite the fact that she was a very intelligent girl, the weight of the situation could be a little too much to bear at times. Instead, she simply tried her best to not think about her predicament, choosing instead to focus on her day-to-day life, even if it was in the past.

She was so caught up in her thoughts at that moment, she hadn't realised a small boy running in her direction until he suddenly slammed into her, knocking Sakura onto the ground from the collision, landing on her backside.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

Rin immediately rushed to her side, looking down at the pinkette with concern on her pretty features. Sakura gave her a curt nod and managed a smile before looking to the boy.

"I'm sorry, miss." he apologised solemnly, frowning down at her.

He had dark hair that hung around his face, and darker eyes that looked beyond their years. He couldn't have been more than ten years of age, and yet Sakura couldn't help but realize that he looked somewhat familiar.

She managed to get to her feet, dusting the dirt from her backside.

"It's fine, I wasn't watching where I was going." she told him brightly, offering the young a smile, which after a pause he then returned.

"Itachi!"

Sakura's smile froze, as did the boy's before he turned around to face a woman who was moving swiftly towards him, an even smaller boy in tow.

She could have sworn her heart had stopped due to the shock.

The boy before her was none other than Uchiha Itachi, who would grow up to become known as one of the most intelligent shinobi of Konoha who had massacred his entire clan. Sakura knew the truth behind it all, that he had done it for the sake of his village, on orders from the village elders.

Standing before her, he looked so young. So innocent, save for those dark eyes, which she knew had already seen too much for his tender years. Her heart went out to him, for the pain and suffering he would endure until his untimely death at the hands of his brother, who had grown up believing that Itachi had been nothing more than a cold-blooded murderer, only to find out later the truth when it was all too late.

"Itachi! What did I tell you about watching where you're going?"

The woman approached them now, and Sakura couldn't help but be astounded by her beauty. She'd only ever seen one picture of Itachi and Sasuke's mother, and the photo had been faded and not done her justice at all. Her long silky hair was raven in colour, although Sakura could have sworn it flashed blue in the direct sunlight, with bangs that hung on either side of her face. Her obsidian eyes were large and kind, and she was giving Sakura an apologetic smile.

"Please excuse my son. I keep warning him that he's going to hurt someone if he keeps running off and not looking at where he's going, but it just seems to go in one ear and out the other." she apologised before giving a light chuckle, her laughter soft and almost like the tinkling of bells.

Sakura remained silent, her jade eyes wide as she stood frozen.

She was the splitting image of Sasuke.

"Mama?"

The little boy beside the woman pulled on his mother's skirt, and she swiftly bent down and scooped his small form into her arms before regaining her stance. The boy sat on her hip, gripping to her tightly as his dark eyes peered over at Sakura.

It was Sasuke.

Sakura could feel the tears burning in her eyes, but refused to let them fall. Instead she mustered up a smile, the best she could manage. "It's fine, I'm not hurt."

Her ability to speak was severely limited, her eyes glued on to the young Sasuke before her, who was looking back at her curiously, his eyes wide and inquisitive.

She knew what he was to become, what lay ahead of him in the future. The hardships and suffering he would be forced to endure, the life he would ultimately lead. The man he would develop into, the one who tried to kill his friends and was hell-bent on destroying Konoha despite everything that his brother had done to protect it, and him.

She could feel her heart becoming pained, it was becoming too much for her to be in such close proximity to him, his mother, his brother.

"Mikoto-sama, how are you? How is Sasuke's cough?"

Rin moved next to her, it seemed that she was oblivious, as were the others, to the inner turmoil Sakura was currently going through. The woman smiled, and Sakura realized she had just learned her name, having never known it before.

"He's much better now, aren't you dear?" she coaxed the young boy, who nodded before smiling shyly and hiding his face into his mother's shoulder.

"He's such a cutie!" Rin cooed, grinning at him.

"He's going to be a heartbreaker." Sakura managed to add, knowing the painful truth behind her words.

Mikoto kissed the top of her son's head before giving both girls another grin. "Well, I should be getting home, Fugaku will be finishing work soon and I want to get started on dinner. It was nice seeing you again Rin, and meeting your friend, uh…?"

"S-Sakura." she stammered, her self-control beginning to slip.

"Such a lovely name, goes with your hair." Mikoto commented, before turning around. "Have a good evening girls. Itachi, we're going now!"

The older boy, who had been standing beside Sakura, sighed before following after his mother without another word, and the pinkette couldn't help but watch after him.

The emotions running through her body were becoming too much to handle, and she was worried that she might burst right there and then if she held them in any longer.

"Rin, about dinner tonight… I'm not feeling so well, I should go home and get some rest. Sorry." she said curtly to the brunette beside her, who frowned.

"Are you sure? I mean, if you're not feeling the best…" she replied, but Sakura had already begun moving away from her.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Sakura called out, before promptly breaking into a run towards the pub that had become her home.

* * *

Sakura entered her small apartment-like room as quickly as possible before slamming the door behind her, and the tears flooded forth. The pain of knowing what would happen and the helplessness of not being able to do anything that would affect the course of time hit her system and she lost all control of the emotions that burst from her small form.

She collapsed onto the door behind her, sliding down onto the floor as she let out a sorrowful wail before the loud sobs begun to emit from her petite frame. Wrapping her arms around herself, she could feel herself beginning to rock back and forward as the tears began to torrent down her pale cheeks, splashing onto the wooden floor beneath her.

Her weeping was uncontrollable, the more she tried to stop herself, the more deafening her wails became, the more painful her sobs were as they wracked through her body. Sakura was bawling like a child, and yet she knew that the worst thing she could do was fight it, and to let her emotions be freed.

"Sakura?"

Wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, she managed to look up and meet the one-eyed gaze of the person she least wanted to see at that moment, and yet at the same time, she felt like she needed him the most.

She'd been sobbing so loudly that she hadn't heard him enter the room through the window yet again. All Sakura could do was blink up at him, her eyes bloodshot, her nose runny, her cheeks flushed and stained with rivers of tears that still leaked from her eyes, which held such fathomless pain.

Before she could muster up the strength to give him an answer, the silver-haired man dropped down to his knees beside Sakura, wrapping his arms around her small frame and pulling her towards him. Her head now pressed against his chest, she could faintly smell his aroma, the musky scent just as she remembered her own Kakashi smelling like.

"It's alright to let it out. I'm here now, I've got you." he murmured into her hair.

With his words, she felt her temporary clasp on her woes disappear and let the floodgates open once more.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes groggily, her head feeling heavier than she remembered it to be. Her nose felt stuffy, and her jade orbs stung slightly. She noticed that she was laying on the bed, her pink hair tousled around her face, her bangs damp one side, as was the pillow. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was sitting on the floor weeping, before someone entered the room and held her as she cried…

She shot up from the bed, cursing herself inwardly as her head swam from the sudden movement.

"Take it easy."

The soft-toned command came from the shadows of her room, it was only then that Sakura realised that it was now evening, the sunlight having vanished from the room. She heard a chair scrape across the wooden floor before Kakashi's face came into the moonlight that filtered in through the window, and she immediately felt herself calm at the sight.

"What time is it?"

"A little after eight. You've been asleep for a few hours."

As he moved over to the wall and promptly switched on the light, Sakura ran a hand through her petal-coloured locks, trying to piece together what had happened before she had awoken. She'd been crying, and quite uncontrollably. But why?

The memory of a small boy in his mother's arms flashed though her mind, causing her heart to contract painfully. She lurched forward as her hand grabbed her chest, causing Kakashi to move towards her, concern etching into the features she could see despite his infernal mask.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft, his tone worried.

She took a few deep breaths before nodding. "I'll be fine."

It was then something in her mind clicked.

"How did you get in here?" she questioned, peering up at him inquisitively.

"The window." came the blunt answer.

Sakura frowned. "Do you make it a habit of climbing in through people's windows while they are unaware?"

Kakashi stood back from her and crossed his arms, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"I heard you crying, and wanted to make sure you were alright. The window was slightly open, so I climbed through it. You didn't seem to have any problems with it earlier."

Now it was the pinkette's turn to fold her arms across her chest. "You heard me crying? What, were you trying to peek on me again?"

The statement didn't rile him up as she had intended, instead he just gave another slight shrug with his shoulders. "I told you, I hang around here."

She raised one pink eyebrow at him, but said no more.

"Besides, you were crying quite loudly."

Sakura's head lowered, her bubblegum locks hanging around her face so it was hidden from his view. She hadn't meant to let her emotions become so out of control. They'd hit her like a ton of bricks, and she hadn't prepared herself adequately to deal with the situation. She'd only just managed to keep a hold on herself in front of the Uchihas and Rin. Having such an outburst so publicly would have been disastrous.

"Are…are you alright?"

Her head snapped back up to look at him, not realising that he had moved even closer to her. He sat down beside her, the bed sagging slightly from his weight as his one dark orb watched her carefully.

"I'll be okay. I just had some issues I haven't dealt with yet, and they came back to haunt me. I never was really that good with holding in my emotions."

There was silence in the room until Kakashi spoke again.

"Me neither."

She turned to look at him, her green eyes wide with surprise at his statement before he continued.

"When I was younger, I would become upset over the smallest thing. My father would call me a crybaby, my mother would retort that I simply had a lot of spirit." his eye creased ever so slightly, and Sakura knew there was a sad smile under that mask of his.

"But then I decided that I wanted to be a shinobi, just like my old man. Rule twenty-five is that we are never to show emotion, that it can cloud our judgement and make us appear weak to our foes. So I learned to hide them, deep down within myself."

Sakura's eyes widened again as they moved to the dark material that covered his face, realising that she had just discovered the reason for why he wore his mask. Over the years, he'd come up with many excuses, some ridiculous, others plausible. But his statement had definitely shed some light on the subject for her.

He didn't seem to notice the shift in his companion's green gaze as he continued.

"I didn't cry when my mother died, I didn't cry when my old man died. I was devoid of emotion, and instead used that energy on focusing on my training."

Kakashi's eye moved to stare at the floor.

"It was my sensei who told me that while the rules and regulations that us shinobi live by are important, they are not infallible, and that we must know when to break these rules in order to adapt and cope with the situation. I was such a stickler for the rules, until it cost me the life of my best friend."

Sakura sat completely still, stunned into silence. She'd never heard her sensei open up like this before, at least, never to her. Why now? Was it because he hardly knew her? Or was it due to the fact that they were similar in age? She had no idea, but she was glad to be learning more about him. It made him seem more… real, in a way. More human.

"I'm sorry." she muttered softly, frowning at him sadly.

Kakashi sighed. "I've learned a lot from that experience, and many others. There's no way I could keep all the shit I've been through pent up within myself. I need to let it out every now and then, or otherwise it will corrupt me and I'll end up turning out like my father."

She noticed the bitterness that mixed with his tine in the last few words of his sentence, but did not question it. They weren't that close in this time, and she didn't want to push things to far.

"Thank you." Sakura said after a moment, a grateful smile gracing her lips. "For talking to me and… before." her cheeks flushed pink.

"I've learned that having someone with you while you're upset has a comforting effect. I might seem like an emotionless robotic bastard at times but I do have a heart." he commented, moving off the bed and getting to his feet.

"I never doubted that." she replied, standing up as well. "Did you want to stay for dinner? As my way of thanking you?"

Kakashi sighed. "I have to return to duty. Otherwise I would."

Sakura's features darkened for a moment. She needed to talk to the Hokage and have him make the ANBU stand down and no longer watch her. The fact that they could see everything she did was just plain creepy and an invasion of privacy. She knew he was just being careful, and doing the best thing for the village, but it was certainly frustrating to know that every move she made was being observed.

"Maybe another time." she commented, her face returning to normal as she watched Kakashi move over to the window.

_No, not another time, you shouldn't even be interacting with him in the first place!_

She brushed the thought from her mind as the silver-haired man opened the window and swiftly climbed through to the outside. He slid the window shut once more and gave the pinkette a silent wave in farewell before disappearing from view in a puff of smoke.

Finding herself alone once more, Sakura sighed before she ventured into the bathroom, switching on the light as she entered and immediately wishing she hadn't. One look at her reflection and she was mentally kicking herself for not washing her face earlier.

She moved over to the basin, turning on the tap and pooling the cool water into the palms of her hands before splashing it onto her tear-stained, runny-nosed, bloodshot-eyed face. Kakashi hadn't made any remarks about her awful appearance, which she was grateful for, but the fact that he had seen her in such a state was downright embarrassing.

Wiping her now wet-face with a towel, she looked back into the mirror. She still looked terrible, but there was a definite improvement from earlier.

She walked back into the main room, her gaze sauntering over to the small kitchenette. Not feeling all that hungry, she chose to lay back down on the bed instead and collect her thoughts.

Her day had started off wonderfully, and then it had been downhill from there, only to pick up again right at the end.

Sakura had enjoyed the conversation with Kakashi, even if it had been on a somewhat depressing topic. She was glad to have learned more about him, even if it had been from his younger self. She found it easy to talk to him, and it seemed that he felt the same.

He'd come to her aid, just when she had needed him. He'd comforted her, someone he hardly knew. He'd wrapped his arms around her and made her feel safe, the safest she'd felt in such a long time.

She felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought of his limbs held tightly around her, his words spoken into her hair, his musky aroma and the amazing touch of his muscled chest against her cheek.

No, no, **no**! This was wrong. This was so wrong, on so many levels. He was her sensei. Not yet, but he would be one day. Not only that, she couldn't do anything that could affect the timeline. Having a crush on the younger Kakashi would definitely do that.

And not to mention Rin.

The brunette loved him, she'd declared so herself. Sakura and Rin hadn't known each other all that long, but Sakura couldn't do such a thing to the girl who had been nothing but lovely and sweet to her.

She clamped her eyes shut, tightly.

She wouldn't let herself fall for her sensei.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1**__. The whole 'Sakura meeting Sasuke' thing has been planned from the beginning. I couldn't resist her meeting his younger self, and the outcome of the meeting gave Kakashi and Sakura a chance to bond a little bit more._

_**2**__. I know Sakura might seem a little too emotional, but from what I've seen of her character, she does have quite powerful emotions and they are not always that bad. I mean, she saw little Sasuke and little Itachi. That would pretty much destroy me emotionally too if I were in her position, knowing what was to become of them and not being able to do anything to prevent it. _

_**3**__. A few of you have expressed worry of Rin's involvement and her own relationship with Kakashi. I assure you readers, this is a Kakashi/Sakura story. The thing you may need to learn about me is - I adore love triangles. I love the dynamic of them, and I find it so much interesting to write. I know you might be doubting things even more now because of Sakura's last thoughts in this chapter, but I promise you, things will happen, sparks will fly, etc between our lovely silver and pink-haired pair._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm sorry for the late update guys. Just had a lot on my end, stressing about bills (oh the joys of being an adult and living independently) and personal stuff. Just found it hard to get in the writing zone sadly, my head has been wrapped up in other things. But here it is, whoo!_

_To my silent followers and favourites, please, take time to write a review and give me some feedback. Obviously you are enjoying the story so far, I'd just love to hear that from you. Even a simple 'really liking the story' will do! Pretty please? With a cherry and a Kakashi on top?_

_Also, for those of you who read the manga, how much of a shock was 599? I'm still reeling from that revelation. My mind was pretty much blown. I'm amazed it's intact and able to bring you this chapter, haha. At first I was wondering if I should wait and see what actually did happen to Rin, as I want to keep this story somewhat authentic, but I know you guys were wanting the next instalment and so here we are!_

_WE REACHED 100 REVIEWS! YAY! Next goal is 150!_

_And I'll let you guys in on a little secret - I'm currently working on another Sakura/Kakashi story, this one a love triangle that also includes Sasuke. That's all I will reveal now, but I'd love to know if you guys would be interested in reading that story!_

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER SEVEN

"What's with the curtains?"

Sakura turned around at the words, managing to stay steady as she stood on the small wooden chair, hanging up thick red curtains over the window. Her face broke into a smile as she saw Rin standing in her doorway, her hands laden with what appeared to be steaming bags as she quirked up an eyebrow curiously at her friend. The pinkette turned back to the ruby material and sighed audibly.

The fact that she knew the Hokage had ordered ANBU to watch her at all hours of the day was beginning to grate on her nerves. They could easily see into her small room, and as Kakashi had proved twice so far, they could enter it without her knowing as well. The curtains would give her peace of mind, and a chance at maintaining her dignity.

Sakura made sure the curtains were now in place before responding. "A girl needs her privacy sometimes."

With that, she carefully made her way off the chair and over to Rin, taking the bags from her hands, the pungent aroma of the steam hitting her nose. She could smell various spices and ingredients, making her mouth water instantaneously.

"You brought dinner?" she questioned, looking hopefully at the brunette, who nodded and grinned.

"Well, I figured you might be hungry, so instead of eating out alone, I got take-away for two and thought we could have a night in. We haven't really been able to hang out that much over the last few days."

Sakura's grin widened. "You are officially my hero."

She moved into the small kitchenette, getting out two bowls before returning to Rin who was in the process of taking the various dishes out of the bags and laying them across the small table. As she took a seat, Sakura moved over to the chair she had been using earlier as a make-shift step-ladder in order to hang up her new curtains, taking it over to the table before sitting down herself, her belly rumbling in anticipation of the mouth-watering food that was presented before her.

Chopsticks were picked up, dishes passed from one to the other as they took what they wanted and placed it into their dishes. Once the girls had filled their bowls with varying dishes, they began to eat, as well as talk.

"How are you enjoying your time in Konoha?"

Rin's casually asked question surprised Sakura. It wasn't overly personal, but it was certainly not something she'd ever thought she'd be asked. She took a moment to think about it, realizing the word '_Konoha_' should have been replaced with '_the past_'.

But of course Rin had no idea of this truth, and Sakura was going to keep it that way.

She'd been in this version of the village for two weeks now. It had been odd and somewhat difficult to become accustomed to, especially as she had no idea just how long she was going to stay until she could be returned home to her own time. She didn't want to become too comfortable, but at the same time, she didn't want to completely alienate herself and spend her days locked up in her room with no social interaction with anyone.

"It's good. I miss home, of course, and I've sometimes found it hard to adjust, but working at the hospital has been so wonderful." she replied finally, her lips curling into a small smile.

Her answer was definitely the truth, and it made her feel better about being able to be honest with Rin. She was really the only friend Sakura had in the village, and the pinkette knew that when the time came and she returned home, she would miss Rin's company and friendship.

"That's understandable. What about your family? Do you write to them?"

"Well…that's kind of…um…it's a difficult situation. I'd rather not talk about it."

Rin clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry Sakura, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. Really."

Sakura bit her lip, feeling guilty about having to lead Rin astray. She hadn't been prepared for that kind of question, and had no way of answering it on such short notice. She could have said yes, but then she knew Rin would have further inquiries on the subject. It was best to nip the conversation in the bud before it developed.

Truthfully, she'd seen her parents two days earlier in the market. She'd made sure to stay away, even going so far as to secretly henge her appearance just in case they noticed the shade of her hair. Luckily, Sakura's younger self had not been with them. She'd watched as they went around and shopped, marvelling at how young they looked and how vibrant her father's hair had once been, having been accustomed to the dusty pink it had dulled down to with age.

Despite the fact that they were partaking in such a menial task and were oblivious to her presence, it was comforting seeing their familiar faces. It had taken everything within Sakura to not go up to her parents and embrace them, as she usually would back home. She had forced herself to simply be content at being able to see them in this strange situation.

"So are you working tomorrow?"

Sakura was broken out of her thoughts by Rin's change of topic, which she was incredibly grateful for. Hospital talk was easy, simple, and she didn't have to lie or bend the truth. It was becoming harder to keep her guard up.

She nodded her head at the brunette. "Early shift. Eight am until four pm."

Rin grinned. "Lucky you. I'm working a late shift, midday until eight at night."

"The late shifts aren't so bad. It's definitely quieter at nights, not so busy with visitors and surgeries."

"That's true. The only problem is it doesn't give me any time to myself, or to be able to just hang out with friends. I mean, I haven't seen Kakashi since my birthday."

This caught Sakura's attention. Her slender eyebrows shot up with surprise at Rin's admittance. "Really?"

Rin sighed in response. "He's always so busy, I was hoping to catch up with him but I can never track him down."

Guilt seeped into Sakura's system, she'd seen Kakashi twice since then. The first encounter had been out of the ordinary, he'd scared the living daylights out of her by appearing in the window with his ANBU mask covering his face. The second encounter had been unexpected and yet comforting. She'd been grateful for his company that day, after dealing with the shock of seeing Sasuke along with his brother and mother. Somehow, he'd come to console her just when she had needed it.

Usually in that situation, her sensei was the last person she'd go to. When anything got her down, she did her best to keep it pent up inside rather than seek reassurance from her friends. Naruto was too overbearing, Sai too oblivious, Ino too condescending. Kakashi was her sensei, the last thing Sakura wanted to display in front of him was her weakness. He'd seen enough of that already through the years.

When it became too much, Sakura hid it well, choosing to let it all out alone in her apartment, away from prying eyes. She hated appearing weak in front of anyone. That's all she'd ever been in her youth, and since becoming a strong and skilled kunoichi, she never wanted to be thought of as feeble ever again.

Being here had messed with her head, and it was becoming harder and harder to keep control over herself, over her emotions, which were jumbled and confusing.

"I'm sure you'll be able to see one another soon." Sakura returned to the conversation, shooting Rin a smile which the brunette returned with a hopeful one of her own.

"I hope so. I just…when I don't see him for long periods of time, I find myself missing him terribly. You said earlier that you've been in love, surely you know what it's like."

Sakura frowned slightly.

Yes, she knew exactly what it was like. Although by the time she realized she truly was in love with Sasuke and not just another one of his fan-girls, it had been too late. He'd begun his descent into the darkness, letting it consume him. She'd told him of her feelings, screaming of her love for him in a bid to prevent him from leaving the village.

It hadn't worked.

Sasuke had left, breaking her heart as he did so. Even years later she had still pined for him, finding herself unable to kill him when the time came. It was after that encounter that she realized he was no longer the boy she had loved, and she began to slowly repair her shattered heart, piece by piece until it once again felt whole.

"My situation was different." Sakura replied sadly, placing her bowl on the table, no longer feeling hungry despite there was still some morsels left in the dish.

Rin frowned. "How so?"

"He knew I loved him. He never returned my feelings, although I desperately wished he would. He called me…annoying."

_"I…I love you with all my heart! If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets…because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear! I would do anything for you! So…please, just stay with me! "_

_"You really are…annoying." _

Sakura let out a bitter laugh with her words.

The frown on Rin's face grew larger.

"Well I'm not sure that Kakashi even feels the same…he knows of my feelings though. There's just one complication."

Sakura turned her viridian eyes on the brunette.

"Complication?"

Rin closed her chocolate brown eyes, her features turning sorrowful.

"Obito…"

Sakura blinked.

_Obito._

She'd certainly heard that name before, but from where, she couldn't recall. It was familiar, and somehow Sakura knew it was important. But why? How? She began to grow frustrated as she frantically searched her mind for the answers she so desperately seeked.

Sakura had no more time to ponder on the subject further as a sharp knock sounded at the door, breaking both girls from their thoughts as they looked to the door and then to one another.

"Were you expecting a visitor?" Rin asked the pinkette, her eyebrows furrowed together with confusion.

Sakura's expression matched the brunette's own. "You're the only person who knows where I live." she replied calmly. _Oh, and Kakashi_, she thought, but did not repeat that aloud as she stood up and opened the door.

An ANBU met her eyes, this one wearing a bird mask. The only feature Sakura could see was the person's short brown hair, therefore it no-one she knew.

"Can I help you?" Sakura asked slowly as her brain tried to make sense of the situation.

"The Hokage has requested your audience." a male voice responded curtly, before moving out of the doorway as an indication that she go with him at once.

The pinkette turned around to give a surprised look at Rin, who looked as puzzled as Sakura felt. For a moment there was silence, until the brunette's face broke into an understanding smile.

"You go, I'll clean up and let myself out."

Sakura frowned. "I'm sorry Rin-"

Rin waved a hand at her, interrupting her words. "It's fine, I understand. I'll see you at the hospital tomorrow."

Biting her lip, Sakura turned back to the ANBU who was waiting patiently for her.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

"You requested to see me, Hokage-sama?"

The elderly man looked at her with a slight frown, although the rest of his features gave nothing else away. He looked to his assistant, the Sai-looking man that Sakura remembered as being named Junichi, and to the ANBU who had silently escorted Sakura, motioning towards the door with a wave of his wrinkled hand.

"I wish to speak to Sakura alone."

The two paused for a moment, obviously cautious, but heeded The Third's order. They both gave their leader a curt nod before swiftly vacating the room, closing the door behind them as they disappeared from view. Sakura watched them as they left, before turning her attention back to the Hokage, who's aged eyes were observing her intently.

"I hear you have recently decorated your room at the inn." he began, and Sakura realized what this meeting was about.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I don't like the fact that I have ANBU watching me all the time. I'm a young woman, I need my privacy. Besides, I believed that you trusted me."

The Third sighed.

"As leader of Konoha, it is my duty to protect my village at all costs, whether your explanation for being here is valid or not. While you have given me evidence of your circumstances, it isn't a predicament that's been dealt with previously. I'm just doing what is best for the safety of the villagers. I can't take any chances."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, feeling exasperated.. "I'm not here to harm Konoha, or any of the villagers!"

"I can't risk it, Sakura."

She crossed her arms, feeling her anger build up. How was she supposed to convince him that her words were true? Yes, the whole situation was insane and incredibly unlikely, but she wasn't the type to lie. Especially not to the Hokage. Feeling as though she was fighting a losing battle, she silently admitted defeat and moved towards the door to let herself out.

Then, she realized that she had the perfect way of convincing The Third that she was, in fact, from the future.

"Naruto."

He froze for a moment, before looking up at Sakura's retreating from and lifting up a white eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Naruto." she repeated firmly, turning around to face the aged man. "I know everything about him, things that are not common knowledge. That he houses the nine-tailed bijū, Kurama. That his father was Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage."

The Third's lips pressed into a thin line.

"There are villagers who know that information, even some that know of Naruto's true parentage. It is plausible that one of them exposed these truths to you."

"Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's mother. She was the previous jinchūriki of Kurama."

Now that was something that was not common knowledge at all.

The Third's eyebrows rose significantly, his mouth slightly agape with shock that Sakura knew such a thing. It had been under wraps for years, only known amongst the elders and the Hokage himself.

"How do you know such information?"

"Naruto told me."

Stroking his beard in thought, The Third sat back in his chair, his dark eyes wide as he digested Sakura's words. The room fell silent, Sakura frozen into place, her eyes watching The Third before her, hoping that she'd given him enough proof of the truth without having given too much away.

Her knowledge of the future was a scary thing. If it fell into the wrong hands, it could be a powerful tool. She couldn't let anyone know too much about what was yet to come, the risk of altering significant events and therefore the time she came from was too big.

"You know Naruto in your time?"

Sakura's eyes began to sting with unshed tears that she refused to let fall.

"He's my best friend."

It hadn't occurred to her until just then how much she missed the boisterous blonde. He was such a regular part of her life, they saw one another practically every day unless they were on solo missions. At times she'd still found him to be irritating, but right now, she'd give anything just to see his whiskered face again, accompanied by his signature idiotic grin.

The Third's face had softened with her words, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by her. Sakura knew what kind of childhood Naruto had experienced, or in the current time, was experiencing. Ostracized by the village due to his jinchūriki status, which the young boy hadn't even known until he was twelve.

Despite the Hokage asking that the villagers treat him as they would any other, most could not forget the horrendous night that the nine-tailed fox was let free to rampage Konoha. The night Naruto was born had scarred many, both physically and emotionally. Knowing that the small blonde child now housed that very same beast made others wary of him. They knew what kind of power was now contained within his body, and were uncertain if such an attack could occur again.

"I'm glad that he has such a friend."

The Third's soft-spoken statement broke Sakura's concentration, and she looked at the elderly man with shining eyes.

"I know I can't say much, but I want you to know that Naruto…he's the most amazing person I know, both as a ninja and just as himself. Although the village may look down on him now, there will come a time where he will be loved by many."

Letting out a contented sigh, The Third closed his eyes momentarily.

"That is all I ever wished for Minato's son."

His eyes reopened and focused on Sakura, who was standing perfectly still, saying nothing else. She knew she'd potentially said too much, but she wanted to give the Hokage reassurance. Sadly, he hadn't been alive to see Naruto become Konoha's hero, and she felt that it was important that he knew what the jinchūriki would eventually become.

"I will withdraw the ANBU. You must forgive me Sakura, I was merely being cautious. It is a peculiar circumstance afterall. I will make sure that a counter jutsu is found quickly, so that you may return to your own time. Unfortunately, so far we've come up empty. But until then, I suggest you lie low and keep out of the way."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Which reminds me…have you encountered anyone you know so far?"

"Yes, a few." she admitted guiltily. "But I haven't interacted with them to a great extent."

_Except for Kakashi._

Sakura was aware that if she admitted knowing Kakashi in the future, all hell would break loose, and he'd be ordered to stay away from her. Selfishly, she didn't want that to happen. It was comforting having a familiar face around, even if it was hidden behind a mask and she'd never actually seen it. Besides, it could affect her friendship with Rin.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself in her mind to justify her reasons.

"Just make sure it's not a regular occurrence, or I'll have to make you write a list of everyone you know and make sure that they stay away from you. I'd rather not, I don't need any extra paperwork." The Third chuckled, Sakura smiling weakly at him.

"Alright, you are free to go. I will summon you if we make a breakthrough with the counter jutsu."

Sakura bowed her head to him. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

With that, she once again moved to the door and left the room, leaving the Hokage to his stunned thoughts.

* * *

"You've got your last patient for the day waiting in room one, Sakura-chan. Once that's done, you're free to head home."

Sakura's eyes moved from the desk where she had been mulling over paperwork for the better part of the last hour to the face of the elderly nurse that stood before her, smiling.

"Are you sure Arisu-sama? I still have more of this to go." Sakura replied, indicating to the many scrolls that lay before her on the desk, some opened, some not.

Arisu chuckled. "I can have one of the other nurses take over. Your shift is almost done anyway, and I know you've been working incredibly hard. You're still so young, you need to go out and live your life, not be cooped up here filling in prescriptions and statements."

Sakura blinked before rising from her chair, taking her apple-green stethoscope from the desk and hanging it around the nape of her neck.

"Thanks Arisu-sama."

With that, she moved to the room where her last patient was waiting, opening the door to find no-one there. Raising an eyebrow, Sakura looked around the room but there was no sign of her supposed patient. With a sigh, she moved over to the desk, picking up the patient's file and finding out just who was missing from the room.

_Hatake Kakashi, eighteen years of age, blood type O._

"Kakashi?" she exclaimed aloud, not realizing that she had done so.

"Yes?" came the familiar voice behind her.

Sakura spun on her heel to turn around and face the silver-haired copy-nin, who was watching her curiously with his one visible eye. The shock of his sudden appearance made her jump back slightly, landing against the desk with her backside as she held her free hand over her chest, which contained a thudding heart.

"You really need to stop doing that!" she hissed, narrowing her emerald orbs at him.

"Doing what?" he responded innocently, but Sakura could tell from the mischievous glint in his obsidian eye that he had thoroughly enjoyed her response to his presence.

"Sneaking up on me and scaring the living daylights out of me!" she scolded him, placing the file back on the desk before moving towards him.

He shrugged. "Not my fault you're not more aware of your surroundings. You're lucky you're not a shinobi, you'd be a pretty lousy one."

Kakashi's comment made Sakura grit her teeth, for a moment she wanted nothing more than to make him eat his words with a well placed punch to the face with her chakra-filled fist. Instead, she managed to calm herself down, afterall, she was a professional.

"So you're here for just a regular check-up?" she inquired, ignoring his words.

Kakashi nodded. "It's standard for all ANBUs to have a check-up every three months." he explained, looking almost bored.

"Well then I guess you know the procedure." she commented, pulling the stethoscope from her neck and placing the earpieces in her ears, holding the diaphragm in her hand. "Take in a deep breath through your nose-"

"Yeah, I know." he retorted but complied, his eyesight focused on the wall as she checked over his heart, circulation and lungs.

Once she was done, Sakura moved the stethoscope back to her neck before heading back to the desk to fill in all the boxes on his file.

"Your stethoscope matches your eyes."

Sakura turned around to look at Kakashi, who was once again watching her. She felt her cheeks flush from his words, trying to remind herself that he hadn't given her a compliment, he was just stating a fact.

"That's why the nurses picked it for me." she replied offhandedly, cursing herself inwardly for having such a reaction to his comment. All she had to do was remind herself that this was Kakashi. Just a younger, leaner, hotter version…

Mentally slapping herself for thinking such a thing, she turned around, realizing with surprise that he was already standing by the measuring tape so she could record his height. Saying nothing, she walked over to him, noticing the way his eye followed her every movement.

Realizing she had to stand closer to him to use the measuring tape as he was quite taller than herself, Sakura found herself becoming flustered. As his musky scent hit her nose, she could feel her heart beginning to pound once again. Why was she having such a reaction? She could feel her cheeks growing pinker but had no way of stopping it.

If Kakashi noticed anything, he didn't voice it.

Once that was done, he silently moved to the scales, Sakura trailing after him, trying to clear her mind and focus on doing her job.

"So I heard that the Hokage called off the ANBU that were watching you."

His words, spoken so casually, made Sakura freeze momentarily. She hadn't been expecting him to say anything about the situation, but reminded herself that of course he would have known about it, as he had been on the squad that had been assigned to keep an eye on her. Afterall, he was the reason she knew about it to begin with.

"Guess he realised I'm not dangerous." she joked weakly, jotting down the number of his weight on the file.

"It's strange." Kakashi remarked, now moving towards the bed, "Usually newcomers are watched for a month before the Hokage decides whether or not they are a threat."

Sakura frowned at him. "Well, as you said yourself, I'd make a lousy ninja. How could I harm anyone?"

The silver haired man sighed. "Ah, I guess you're right."

Biting her lip, Sakura realised that this was the part of the check-up when the patient removed their shirt so she could check for any abnormalities. Having known Kakashi for years now, she was aware that his infernal mask was attached to his shirt.

Maybe now she would finally get to see that face that had been a mystery to her for so long.

As she walked behind him, she had to stop as he lifted up his shirt, watching with wide eyes as the muscles in his back rippled with each movement, the sight mesmerizing her to the point that she momentarily forgot everything else that was happening around her.

In fact, Sakura was so caught up in the fine display of his toned back that she didn't see Kakashi quickly grab one of the hospital masks nearby and place it over his face, once again obscuring it from view.

He turned around to face her, raising an eyebrow questionably. Sakura knew her cheeks were bright red, her heart was thudding loudly and somewhat painfully in her chest and at any moment, there was a chance she would melt into a puddle of Sakura goo.

Realizing that Kakashi's face was hidden, she scowled inwardly and once again tried to concentrate on the task at hand. As he laid down on the bed, she stood next to him, her hands beginning to grow green as she hovered them along his body.

Even though she was not directly touching him, Sakura could feel the heat from his skin and knew it was having another unwanted effect on her. Trying to concentrate, she banished all forbidden thoughts of the silver-haired man who was once again watching her intently.

His body was incredible. She'd never seen his bare chest before, and couldn't help but be awed by the rock solid abs that lay just beneath her hands. Kakashi's skin was scarred, but of course, she knew that there were many more injuries to come, many more scars that would be etched into his skin. She fought the desire to trace them lightly with her fingertip, and the mortification that she was currently finding her sensei incredibly attractive.

_But he's not your sensei yet…_

Fighting off the rogue thought as soon as it appeared in her mind , Sakura removed her hands and returned them to her sides before stepping away from the bed and giving Kakashi her best attempt at a smile.

"You're all done!"

She turned back to the desk to fill in the rest of his file, and used it as an attempt to calm herself down and get control of her mind and body back. She couldn't let herself experience such feelings, especially not for Kakashi.

"How did I go?" he asked from behind her, the sound muffled which indicated he was dressing himself again.

"You're in perfect physical condition." she answered, not daring to turn around.

"Good to hear."

His voice sounded closer now, she could feel his hot breath fanning her hair across her neck. Sakura felt herself halt breathing, closing her eyes as all her inhibitions left her at that moment, all she could concentate on was how close he was, how warm his body was, how amazing he smelled…

"You smell like strawberries."

Another fact, not a compliment.

Sakura's eyes opened once more as her mind went to Rin. The girl loved him, and was quite happy to admit so. She couldn't hurt the brunette, the only friend she really had in this time. It wasn't fair on her, and it certainly wasn't fair on Kakashi. What would he do if he were to find out that she was from the future, and also his to-be student?

"You know, you should really try and see Rin-"

As she turned around to speak to Kakashi and break the forbidden moment, her eyes met empty air, her words fading on her lips. Sakura looked around the room, but he'd seemingly gone and vanished just as silently as he had appeared.

Letting out the breath she'd been holding in, Sakura felt her legs go weak momentarily and leaned on the desk for support, her viridian eyes wide with mortification at what had just transpired. Running a hand through her petal-pink tresses, her gaze moved to the floor.

It was wrong. It was so very, very wrong.

And she would not let it happen again.

With that thought, she moved from the desk and left the room, oblivious to the one-eyed gaze that watched her from outside the window.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ I know this chapter was kind of slow to begin with, but I hope the check-up scene made up for it. Looks like things are happening between our favourite pair. I'm trying to build it up slowly, but not so slow that it gets boring. And besides, who knows how long Sakura will be trapped in the past? (haha I do!)_

_**2.**__ The hospital scene was actually meant to be something completely different, where Kakashi was going to reveal a bit more of Rin's backstory, but it ended up being steamy instead. And I know a lot of you will be happier that this is how it went instead. I'll put all that in the next chapter, and I will stress that Rin is a very important character in this story, so don't be hatin'. :P_

_**3.**__ This is the second longest chapter so far, after Chapter Three. Hope this makes up for how long it took me to update!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_Yay for an update on time!_

_I was originally going to wait until the story hit 150 reviews, but then I realized I didn't want to become one of those writers who threatens to hold back on a story unless they receive a certain amount of reviews. To be honest, I'm just grateful that people are reading and loving the story, following it and favouriting it. Every time I receive a notification of this, my heart swells with pride._

_For those who do take the time to actually sit there and write a review, you guys are so amazing, and the true lifeblood of this story. Without your vocal support, I wouldn't have gotten this far, I would have given up and deemed the story as a failure. Your compliments and words of praise are so immensely touching and help my self confidence so much. From those who have been with the story from the beginning and review every chapter, to those who have just discovered it and have already invested in it._

_From the bottom of my little Aussie heart, thank you! 3_

_As always, please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Sakura-chan, look lively now!"

Sakura's head instantly lifted off her arms that were folded upon the desk, blinking in surprise up at the elderly nurse Arisu was looking down at her with a raised eyebrow. Had she been asleep? She couldn't recall. The last thing she remembered was filling in the new prescription scrolls…

"Sorry, Arisu-sama, I wasn't even aware-"

"I know that today has been slow, but that doesn't mean we can all slack off. You never know when something might happen, we must always be alert." Arisu reprimanded the pinkette.

With that, the grey-haired woman shuttled off, leaving Sakura to regain her coherency.

She'd been totally, and utterly, bored, for lack of a better word. The hospital had indeed been slow that day, there were very few appointments booked, no new admittances and no discharges. She'd performed her one and only check-up earlier that morning, an elderly shinobi who had suspicions of a broken arm. Luckily, Sakura had only found it to be fractured, healed him and sent him on his way within half an hour.

That was all the excitement she'd had for the day.

The pinkette preferred to be distracted. In fact, she welcomed it with open arms whenever it presented an opportunity for her to get her mind off everything else. That way she couldn't think about home and how much she missed it, how strange the past month that she'd been trapped in this time had been, the last meeting she'd had with a certain silver-haired shinobi.

She hadn't seen Kakashi since his check-up, as she had been purposefully avoiding him at all costs. Luckily, she'd had no random encounters with him since then, not even glimpsed him once on the street, much to relief. The further away from him she was, the better it was for them both. It was less confusing and less hazardous that way.

The feelings that Sakura experienced when she was around him were new, strange, and forbidden. The implications of anything happening between them were dangerous. What would happen when she returned to her own time? It could greatly alter the course of her relationship with her sensei, affect the way they treated one another. She couldn't allow that to happen.

Despite knowing this, she couldn't help but wonder about what had happened between them. The way he had looked at her with his sole obsidian eye, the way he had talked to her, with his factual words that were almost like compliments. The intensity of his gaze, the fact that it had lingered on her for just a fraction of a second too long. How he had made her feel when he was near, how her heart had pounded and felt constricted in her chest, how her lips had been so dry and she had experienced such an intense need to touch him.

"Sakura-san!"

Sakura was broken from her thoughts by a nurse who was running towards her, a young woman who's deep golden hair was frazzled and her dark brown eyes wide. Her pleasant face was turning red, evident that she had been running quite quickly.

"What's wrong?" the pinkette asked, mentally cringing at the fact that she couldn't remember the nurse's name.

The woman finally reached the desk, leaning on it and taking in a few deep breaths to try and regulate her breathing before she managed to speak again.

"Rin-chan has requested you. Her brother was rushed in to emergency not too long ago."

Within seconds of the words being uttered from the nruse's lips, Sakura had risen from her chair and bolted down the hallways that headed to the emergency ward. One of Rin's brother was there, and she had specifically asked for the pinkette, most likely for comfort. Despite everything the brunette had gone through with her family, and the way her older brothers treated her, she was still a devoted sister and cared very much for all of them. Sakura couldn't imagine what her friend was going through.

As she neared the emergency ward, her gaze met the retreating figure of Rin, who was pacing back and forth outside the door, her brown hair loose from it's usual ponytail, the strands free and wild around her face. After a few laps she finally looked up and noticed Sakura, who could see the intense worry and sorrow in Rin's chocolate-brown eyes.

"It's Ryou." the brunette managed to whimper, her orbs filling with tears before she dropped her head again.

Sakura's heart sank as she moved over to Rin, enveloping the other girl in a comforting hug with her small petite arms. She felt Rin's body begin to contract with sobs, and they sunk to the floor, Rin still in Sakura's embrace as the pinkette stroked her back soothingly.

Once Rin had somewhat calmed a few minutes later, the two girls moved off the floor and to the nearby chairs. Once seated, Sakura looked over to the room where Ryou was being worked on, the windows blocked off from their view, and hoped that the medics were doing everything they could to save him. Her attention returned to Rin, who was wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve, sniffling.

"He was on a mission, just a simple one, to accompany a family to the Land of Rivers. Apparently he ate something strange on his way back home, a berry I think they said it was, and it had a negative effect on him. He managed to get himself back here and practically collapsed through the gates with respiratory problems." Rin explained, her voice unusually quiet.

"How long ago did he come in?" Sakura inquired, looking back to the room.

"About twenty minutes ago. Despite how much I protested, they wouldn't let me inside. I'm not allowed to help because I'm family."

Sakura looked back to the brunette, who had lifted her legs up onto the chair, her feet on the edge of the seat, her knees tucked up against her chest, her chin resting on them as she wrapped her arms around her legs to hold them in place. Rin was shaking ever so slightly, it was obvious that she was frustrated and terrified at the same time for her twin.

"I know why I can't go in there and assist. It's too emotional to get involved with personal cases, it causes us to lose our focus. It's one of the most standard rules of the hospital, one all of us must abide by. But right now, I don't care about the rules. All I want to do is help my brother."

As Rin buried her head in her knees, her hair falling around her head to conceal her face, Sakura frowned sympathetically. She understood why Rin was upset at not being allowed to go in the room, but she had never experienced it herself. Even when it was her friends in emergency, Sakura was always there, helping in any way she could.

Then again, she'd never had something so life-threatening happen to her family members, none of them had been rushed into emergency during her medical career, thankfully. Perhaps that would be a different situation. As it was, she didn't want to think about it, knowing if she was in Rin's position and it was her mother or father being worked on, she'd be wanting to help out as well.

The door to the room suddenly opened, the sound causing both girls to look up at Arisu who was moving towards slowly them, concern etched deeply into her wrinkled features as her dark blue gaze met those Rin and Sakura.

"How is he?" Rin asked breathily, her eyebrows knitted with concern.

Arisu's frown deepened. "We're attempting to get him stable, but all our efforts so far have been futile. I realized that no-one had explained to you what was happening, so I thought it best to tell you myself, Rin-chan." the older woman admitted.

As Rin clasped a hand over her mouth in a poor attempt to contain the gasp of horror at Arisu's words, Sakura's pink eyebrows furrowed together. Having such a reaction to a something like an unknown food should have been under control by now. It would have been similar to a severe allergic reaction. She'd worked on several cases like Ryou's in the first few years of her medical training.

"Have you tried the Hayashi procedure yet?"

It was once of the most simple and basic procedures for this type of emergency, and also one of the many inspirations for Sakura's faux surname. It was basic protocol back in her own hospital, and so she was surprised when both Arisu and Rin looked over at her with matching looks of confusion.

"Child, I have never heard of that procedure before."

Sakura's eyes widened, that would explain why they couldn't get Ryou stable, and that his life was still in danger. Realizing she was the only one who knew of the procedure and therefore would be able to help him, she soundlessly moved from her chair and raced over to the room, despite Arisu's shouts of protest from behind her.

She burst into the room, noticing the many pairs of eyes that were now pinned on her form. One of the medics moved over to her.

"I'm sorry miss, but you shouldn't be in here-"

"Do you want to save his life or not?"

The intensity of Sakura's viridian glare caused the medic to instantly back off without another word, allowing the pinkette to move to Ryou's side as he lay on the table. His body was incredibly pale and still, save for the gasping breaths he took every few seconds.

It was clear that the berry he had eaten was toxic and was affecting his airways, he was in anaphylactic shock. Wordlessly Sakura moved her hands over his abdomen and concentrated her chakra, the palms glowing green as she scanned for any other signs of distress in his body, thankfully finding none. Whatever the berry had been, it hadn't affected his digestive system or his organs.

However, it was affecting his respiratory tract and circulatory system. His throat was closing up at a dangerous pace, constricting his airway and making it difficult for the young man to breathe. The longer Sakura waited, the closer to death Ryou became as he struggled to inhale air. She was running out of time, and was determined to not let Rin down.

"I need a bowl of water mixed with antibiotic powder." Sakura exclaimed, keeping her eyes fixed on Ryou's face as she monitored his breathing.

When no-one appeared to move, she looked up and growled. "Now!"

Realising that the girl meant business, the others in the room quickly located the items Sakura had asked for, bringing the bowl moments later to her side. She took in a deep breath, holding her hands over the bowl before pulling the water from it with her chakra. Manipulating the water was an easy task, yet she could see from the corners of her eyes that her companions were watching her with stunned expressions on their faces, yet their eyes were keenly attentive to her every move.

Holding the water over Ryou's chest, she took in another deep breath before pushing the water into his lungs through his skin, causing the man to jolt and begin to gargle as his lungs were now filled with the water. One medic jumped forward as Ryou began to spasm on the table, his eyes now open and almost bulging out of their sockets as his hands flew to his throat.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"You're going to kill him!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "No, I'm going to save him. If you want to help me do that, I need you to hold down his arms and legs while I clear his body of the toxins."

While at first clearly sceptic, a few moments later arms moved to pin down the squirming man's limbs, aiding Sakura as she continued the procedure. The antibiotics would clear his lungs and throat of the toxin, the water washing any traces of it away and making it easier for her to clear his windpipe. She could feel Ryou's heart beginning to slow as he was no longer getting in any air due to the water, the monitor confirming it.

All eyes turned to Sakura as she expertly managed to finish flushing out his lungs completely before moving to his throat and repeating the procedure. A few moments later she was done, lifting the water out of his throat and dispensing it back into the basin before wiping her forehead with her arm, clearly exhausted. The procedure had never been so difficult for her, but that was because everyone else had had known the process and their positions.

She leaned on the nearby bench, panting slightly as the heart monitor showed that Ryou's heart was beginning to quicken and beat at it's normal pace, and his breathing was now resuming properly. The other medics and nurses looked from the monitor, to Ryou, and then to Sakura, pure awe on their faces.

"Sakura-chan, how did you learn to do such a thing?"

Arisu's voice sounded from the door, causing Sakura to look up at the elderly nurse who's face was mixed with astonishment and pride.

"It's standard protocol for an emergency like this. At least, it is where I come from." Sakura replied truthfully, still confused as to why the medics here had not heard of nor learned of the technique.

"I think we should perhaps learn this procedure of yours and make it standard protocol for Konoha hospital too." Arisu exclaimed, her thin lips curled in a smile. "Afterall, it helped you save young Ryou's life."

Now it was time for Sakura to be stunned. She'd never learned of where the Hayashi procedure had originated from, and how those at the hospital had learned of it. Now, it seemed like she had an answer. And it was the first evidence she had come across that things she did in the past had the potential to somewhat affect the future.

If she hadn't saved Ryou and shown the medics this procedure, would she have learned it herself in the future? Her mind hurt as she thought about it. All she could do was smile weakly at Arisu.

"I'm just doing my job."

* * *

The following day was Sakura's day off from work, but she decided to drop in anyway to check up on Ryou and see how he was doing. As soon as she entered the hospital, every medic and nurse that saw her raised their hands and applauded her. It was a strange feeling, one she was not quite used to. Yes, she had saved many lives, but everything had been under the tutelage and guidance of Tsunade and Shizune. If it hadn't been for those two women, Sakura would not have been as talented as she was.

She came up to Ryou's room, opening the door quietly in case he was resting. However, the man in question was quite awake, his face lighting up as his eyes met Sakura's. Seeing that he was much better, the pinkette beamed at him as she closed the door behind her and moved over to the bed.

Her eyes saw a large tabby curled up asleep on the floor beside the bed, with stripes like a tiger's, but in various shades of brown. The feline noticed her presence and looked up at her, it's jade eyes looking her over before it lowered it's head and resumed napping. Unlike the other cats in Rin's family that Sakura had met, she could tell that this one was by far the most placid.

Her attention shifted to Ryou, who was looking at her with admiration.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, the medic in herself taking over.

"Much better, thanks to you." Ryou returned her smile, despite the fact that his voice was still quite hoarse. "I've come to understand that if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be alive right now."

Sakura scoffed gently at his words, but kept the smile on her lips. "I'm sure that's an overstatement. I'm just glad you're alright."

Ryou nodded. "My throat is a little raw but apart from that I appear to be functioning as normal. At least, that's what the nurses keep telling me."

His eyes trailed down to the chair beside his bed on the other side of that from the cat, Sakura's own gaze following as they were met with the sight of Rin curled up on the seat, clearly asleep with a blanket covering her shoulders.

"Rin's been with me since I came out of recovery." Ryou explained, watching his sister. "She refused to leave me, despite the fact that I've continuously explained to her that I'm fine now."

Sakura moved over to the sleeping girl, shaking her shoulder ever to gently to rouse the brunette from her slumber. Rin stirred, opening her eyes slowly before they met Sakura's.

"Sakura?" she muttered sleepily, giving a yawn as she stretched her arms up above her head, the blanket falling from her shoulders.

"Yeah, it's me." Sakura responded, giving the girl a warm smile. "Why don't you head home and have a shower? I'm sure you're wanting one. In the meantime I'll stay with Ryou to make sure he's okay until you get back."

It took Rin a few more moments to become coherent and then process what Sakura had said to her. She nodded as she stood up from the chair, stretching out her cramped limbs once more before she lunged forward and encircled Sakura with her arms in a tight hug.

"Thank you for saving my brother." Rin sniffled into Sakura's shoulder as the pinkette patted her back, clearly taken aback at the sudden gesture.

"There's no need to thank me, really."

Rin pulled back from the embrace, her eyes red and puffy.

"Don't go being all modest now. If it wasn't for you, Ryou wouldn't have been saved in time. You're the reason that he's still here. And tonight I'm going to take you out to dinner, to say thank you properly."

Sakura winced. "Rin, really, you don't have to-"

"Don't try and talk me out of it, Sakura." Rin interrupted her as she headed to the door. "I'm heading home to shower and get changed, I'll be back shortly. In the meantime, think about where you want to go for dinner this evening."

Without waiting for an answer, Rin exited the room, closing the door behind her before Sakura could protest once more. Realizing that she had no choice in the matter, the pinkette sighed audibly, causing Ryou to chuckle.

"I wouldn't bother trying to win with her. Rin might seem like a sweet girl, but she's got loads of determination." he explained before letting out another laugh.

"It would seem so." Sakura agreed, taking the seat next to Ryou's bed where Rin had previously been sleeping.

Ryou turned to the petal-haired girl, his features etched with appreciation. "I'm really glad Rin has a friend like you." he commented, his voice turning soft. "She's had a pretty tough run in life."

Sakura frowned. "To be honest, I don't know much about what she's gone through, I've only heard bits here and there. All I know is that your family disapproves about the fact that she's a medic, and that your brother Yuji likes to be vocal about it."

Ryou leaned back into his pillow, sighing.

"They all know the sacrifices Rin has gone through, yet none of them seem to sympathise with her. Our family have always partnered with felines, just like the Inuzukas have partnered with canines. When Rin and I were of age to receive our companions, there was a pair of feline twins born, a boy and a girl, like Rin and myself. One for each of us. However, soon after we received them, my companion died of a genetic default that none of us had even been aware of. I was left without a companion, and I knew even then that I would be ridiculed by the family, and the village, for not having a partner like the rest of my clan."

Sakura frowned as Ryou continued.

"Rin knew of this, and then… she offered to give her companion to me. She explained that she was happy too, that she wanted to be a medic-nin instead, that despite knowing that every member of our family was to be partnered with a feline, she was more than happy to not have a companion. So, instead of me being the one who would face the disapproval of the family, Rin took on that responsibility instead."

"Was she aware of just how tough it would be?" Sakura questioned, feeling an immense sadness for her friend, the sweet and bubbly girl who had endured so much emotional pain from her family through her young life.

"If she wasn't, she's never said anything to me about it. She just takes it as it comes. I guess, in that sense, she's a lot stronger than I could ever wish to be." Ryou smiled weakly. "She and Tsumeta still maintain a close bond, as they were meant to be partners instead of Tsumeta and I." he looed down at the large feline that Sakura presumed to be Tsumeta, the cat purring in response to Ryou's statement.

"Knowing what your brothers think of Rin…she shouldn't have to endure it." Sakura exclaimed, thinking back to Yuji's outburst the first time she had met him.

"Takeo never really speaks to anyone, although he's made it clear that he doesn't want much to do with her. He's incredibly traditional, and it blinds him from Rin's suffering. Yuji is just a bastard. He has middle-child syndrome and does whatever he can to make himself noticed, hence why he's so vocal about it. That, and he's always trying to impress Takeo."

These were the kind of things had never experienced herself, having been an only child. She knew of the many dynamics siblings had, but didn't know what it felt like to have them. All through her childhood she'd wished for a brother or sister, but her parents had consistently insisted that they were perfectly content with just her. Now, they were much too old to be parents again, Sakura's hopes of having a sibling dashed.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice as Ryou sat up in the bed, a broad grin gracing his handsome young face as he looked towards the door.

"I was wondering if you'd come and visit me."

A hearty chuckle from the doorway caught Sakura's attention as her mint-green orbs unwillingly moved to meet the gaze of the newcomer.

Kakashi's eye moved from Sakura to Ryou. "You look like hell."

Ryou chuckled as Kakashi entered the room properly, moving to stand on the other side of the bed where Tsumeta was curled up on the floor. The large tabby looked up and acknowledged him with a nod of the head before resuming her nap.

"Well I feel great, thanks to Sakura."

Sakura managed a small smile, wincing internally. She knew Kakashi was already suspicious of her, and this incident would not be helping her case in any way. She dared to look up at the silver-haired man, who was watching her carefully yet again. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, what was visible of his face gave her no clues.

She mentally cursed his infernal mask.

"I heard about that." Kakashi murmured, keeping his eye on Sakura as she tried to avert her own jade orbs. "Apparently you're quite the medic."

Sakura could feel her face grow warm from the intensity of his gaze.

"I had a good education in the medical field."

"Ah."

Ryou looked back and forth between the two with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing. Instead he turned back to Kakashi and gave him a confused glance.

"I thought you hated hospitals, Kakashi?"

Sakura tried to suppress a laugh, it seemed that her sensei had never liked hospitals, despite having spent so much time in them. The Kakashi back home avoided them at all costs, often calling on Sakura to heal him when he returned from a mission, despite her constant reprimands that he'd be much better off at the hospital, and that she couldn't keep coming at his every beck and call.

And yet, every time he was injured and called on her, she still came to his aid.

"I make exceptions every now and then." Kakashi answered coolly, before turning back to Sakura.

"Mind if we talk outside?"

Yes, she did mind. And it was a bad idea, and she wanted nothing more than to escape from him right now and never see him again. But before she could protest, Kakashi had wordlessly headed out of the room without even bothering to hear her answer.

Shooting an apologetic glance at Ryou who simply quirked up an eyebrow in response, she also exited the room, but could see no sign of Kakashi. It was only when she looked down the small, dim corridor next to Ryou's room that she located the silver-haired shinobi, his back turned to her, his hands in his pockets.

"What did you want to talk abo-"

Sakura's words as she approached Kakashi were broken off as he spun around and pushed her up against the wall, leaning over her, his hands on either side of her head. Her viridian eyes were wide with surprise, the look in his visible eye almost leering enough that it made her cower ever so slightly.

He leaned closer to her, his eye never leaving her face.

"I can't figure you out."

Sakura blinked up at him, trying to comprehend his words but to no avail. Those feelings had returned, the feelings she had tried and failed to banish. He was so close to her, his face only inches away from her own. Her palms that were flat against the wall were beginning to grow sweaty, her heart pounding loudly and painfully in her ribcage.

Heat flushed through her entire body, through her core. Warning bells flashed through her head, wailing and telling her that what she was feeling was not allowed, that it was forbidden, that she should try to get away from him that very instant and get as far away as possible.

But she was frozen on the spot, her body not responding to the commands of her mind.

"What…what do you mean?" she managed to utter, trying to keep her gaze focused on his.

"There's something that you're not telling me. You somehow manage to convince the Hokage to call off the ANBU who were watching you, despite the fact that they always keep an eye on newcomers for the total of a month before a decision is made about them. You earn promotions every other week at the hospital, displaying medical skills beyond that of anyone else here, yet you say you only come from a small village and that your medical talents have been passed down through the generations. I haven't seen anyone that is not a shinobi exhibit such perfect chakra control."

Sakura tried her best to keep her face absolutely blank, despite the fact that all of his suspicions were incredibly valid.

"Well, what am I then?" she challenged him softly.

He paused for a moment, his gaze never leaving her face.

"You're an enigma. The closer I think I get to finding out who you truly are, the more you surprise me. I don't like not being able to figure people out. You're torturing me, slowly, painfully. And I want it to stop."

It was then that Sakura realized how much closer Kakashi's face had become with his words. She could feel his breath fanning her face though his mask, it was to the point where her lips only had to move forward ever to slightly to brush against his own. He seemed to realize it as well, but made no move to back away from her, instead he held her gaze, intently, and Sakura could have sworn that the distance between them was growing shorter by the second…

"Kakashi?"

One word was all it took. One minute, Kakashi's face was barely an inch from her own, the next, he had disappeared completely, leaving a cold rush of air in his wake as Sakura attempted to recover from whatever the hell had just happened. Her eyes wide, Sakura clutched her chest, her heart beating painfully.

It was a short while later, once she had calmed down, that she realized that Rin had been the person who had interrupted the moment. A part of Sakura was glad for her appearance, the other deeply annoyed that whatever had transpired between she and Kakashi had been intervened by the brunette.

Sakura looked over to Rin, who was looking at the pinkette with concern and confusion. How much had she seen? Clearly not enough to have hurt Rin, otherwise she would have been screaming at Sakura and carrying on at this point. But she'd seen something, hence the confused look at her pretty face.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Rin asked cautiously, moving closer to the petal-haired girl.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up. I don't think Kakashi is my biggest fan." Sakura laughed weakly.

Rin's features turned into a scowl, worrying her. "Was he threatening you?"

Sakura's eyes flew up with surprise. "No, nothing like that, he was just a little worried about something, that's all. Nothing I can't handle." she managed a smile at the brunette, who's expression softened.

"If he does trouble you in any way, please don't hesitate to tell me. Even though you know my situation with him, and the way I feel about him, I don't want him to make you feel scared or worried."

Rin's concern for Sakura made the guilt she was feeling all the more painful.

"It's fine, I swear. I think I might head off though, I have a lot to do today."

Rin frowned slightly, but didn't attempt to stop the pinkette. "Alright. I'll be by your place at six, then we'll head out, okay?"

Sakura attempted to smile as best she could manage. "Sounds good. I'll see you then."

With that, Sakura made her way out of the hospital, and as far away from Kakashi Hatake as she could get. Things were getting complicated, especially with the fact that she couldn't deny that she had liked how close he had been to her, how badly she had wanted his body to press itself against hers, how much she wanted to taste his lips.

Her self-control was dwindling. It was no longer safe for her to be around him.

With that thought, she turned and made her way towards the Hokage Residence.

It was time to tell The Third everything about Kakashi.

* * *

_Here are three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ I have no idea about anything medical. I've never broken a bone, had an allergic reaction or any other reason to have been admitted to hospital. The closest thing I know is about back problems (I currently have a slipped disc in my back) but that doesn't involve hospitals. I tried my best to keep it authentic, researched it and everything. I hope that scene was believable. _

_**2.**__ Originally, there was no Kakashi in this chapter. But then I couldn't resist. And then it turned into another hot moment. Was anyone else feeling the intense heat from out favourite pair? I know I was. I'm trying to keep it slow, but not too slow. There's definitely something there, but at the moment he's more intrigued by her than anything else, she's managed to plague his thoughts and he can't stop thinking about her. It makes for interesting situations, and gives me more to play on. Yay!_

_**3**__. It was Kakashi's birthday on Saturday, so happy birthday Kakashi! I hope what's happening in the manga currently doesn't mess with his head too much, although there's no telling how badly this is going to affect him for life. I hope he's okay!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Early update because you guys absolutely deserve it. The feedback from the last chapter was amazing. I received the most reviews so far for a chapter, and we're so close to 200. It's super exciting for me. And incredibly uplifting. If it weren't for your amazing support, I wouldn't be so enthusiastic to keep writing and sharing my imagination with you all. The compliments and praise has been overwhelming, I can't thank you guys enough._

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER NINE

The need to train was becoming unbearable.

Sakura could feel that her body was beginning to be affected by the lack of training. She still jogged around the village of a morning, or night depending on what shift she worked at the hospital, but it was nowhere near as strenuous as it needed to be. Her reflexes were no longer as sharp, her colossal strength beginning to diminish. At least her chakra control was still being maintained and used on a daily basis, but it wasn't enough.

She'd been living in the past for two months now, and not being able to do any kind of training was beginning to take a toll on her body.

Fighting was a integral part of her life. She lived for it, save for when she was against true enemies. Sparring was enjoyable, it made her feel useful and important, but most of all, powerful. As a child, she'd been nothing but meek and feeble. Then she'd seen shinobi training with one another, and had been mesmerized by the flawless moves and overwhelming energy that they wielded.

Sakura had decided that day that she wanted to become a ninja.

It had been an effortless decision, at least in her mind. She wanted to be like those shinobi, be respected in the village she loved so dearly and be known for something other than her unique shade of hair. She wanted to be tough and not be so easily pushed around by others. She wanted people to be proud of her.

It had been a very, very slow progression. Even at the age of twelve when she became a Genin, Sakura was still very insubstantial. She was incredibly clever and bright, but compared to her friends, she was still very much in the shadows whereas they shone brightly in the light.

Over time, her strength had built. Mentally, physically, emotionally. She'd been put through the toughest things one could imagine, and come out stronger for it. Gaining Tsunade as a mentor was possibly the best thing that Sakura could have wished for. The honey-haired woman had pushed Sakura to the edge and even further, she had seen something in the pinkette that no-one had seemed to acknowledge before.

Potential.

According to Tsunade, Sakura had plenty of it. She was like a lump of untouched clay, practically screaming to be moulded into something of beauty and worth. Everyone else had looked over her, marking her as a typical pretty girl with all the brains but none of the brawn. Her team-mates were possibly the strongest of their age-group, it didn't help Sakura that when placed alongside Naruto and Sasuke, she easily paled in comparison, unable to compare with the legacies that befell them.

Yet, it in a strange positive light, it was their overwhelming powers and skills that pushed Sakura to train harder, to become someone who could easily walk alongside them, instead of trailing behind in their footsteps. She wanted them both to acknowledge her, not just for who she was as a person, but for her talents as a kunoichi.

She'd been given that pleasure already by Naruto, who had claimed her to be his equal, although she was painfully aware that she was still behind him on many levels. She'd finally have caught up to him, only to learn that once more, he'd elevated above her. It gave her something to strive for, and she was secretly pleased that she could at least knock him down with a well placed punch if he ever became too egotistical.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had not had the privilege of learning about who Sakura had become during his absence from Konoha. The last time he had seen her, she'd failed to kill him twice and then had to be saved twice, by Naruto and Kakashi. She'd wanted to prove to him so badly that she was no longer the weak girl he'd once known, that she was now a formidable opponent and not as easily overlooked.

So caught up with her thoughts, Sakura hadn't realized where she'd been walking, and found herself in a familiar area. A sad smile creeping onto her lips, she looked around at her surroundings of the Third Training Ground.

She'd been out on her morning walk, having been able to sleep in due to a day off from work at the hospital. It was more like late morning, the sun already quite high in the sky and shining brightly on Sakura's exposed legs and arms. It was Spring now, Sakura's favourite time of the year, with the days growing warmer and the fauna beginning to blossom.

Standing in the sunlight, Sakura was grateful for the outfit she was wearing, as it allowed her to easily soak up the warmth from the sun's rays as well as keep cool. Her jogging outfit consisted of a pair of black shorts that were cut mid-thigh, a black crop-top with a loose-fitting maroon singlet over it and standard shinobi sandals on her feet, also black. It was similar to the one she had back in her own time, except these shorts came up over her abdomen whereas her others had rested snugly on her small hips. Her long petal tresses were held up in a ponytail, her bangs left free to frame her face.

Remembering where she was, Sakura looked around until her jade orbs settled on a familiar sight, three lone tree stumps lined up side by side. She wandered over to them, realizing the strange thought that she was gazing at them with memories that hadn't actually occurred yet.

She had two cherished memories of this place, both of them bell tests. The first was just after Naruto, Sasuke and herself had been officially made genin and placed in a three-man cell together. The day previous, they'd met their sensei, Kakashi, who had easily declared that he did not like them. Sakura, who had been so eager to prove herself to the man who would be teaching them how to become the best shinobi possible, had been practically gutted with his words. Still, she was desperate to show that she was worthy of becoming a kunoichi.

It was the day that had learned that their sensei was not only a pervert who openly read erotic novels in full view of everyone, but that he was never, ever on time. It was the day that the trio had learned the true meaning of teamwork, and how important it would be to their development as shinobi. It was the day that Sakura realized just how crucial her training would be, and that she was in it for the long haul. It was the day that her sensei uttered words that would stay with her always.

_"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true...but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."_

The second bell test had occurred shortly after Naruto's return to Konoha since he had left two years earlier to train abroad with Jiraiya. It had been a sentimental day, emotionally straining for both Naruto and Sakura as they lamented the loss of Sasuke as they recalled the first bell test, and that he was not present for the second. Yet, it had also been Sakura's chance to show not only Naruto, but also Kakashi just how much stronger she had become under Tsunade's tutelage, shocking them both with how much she had improved. It was the day they both learned to never underestimate the pinkette.

Walking away from the stumps, Sakura couldn't help but think about her sensei, and the younger incarnation she had come to know in more recent times. Despite having known Kakashi for years now, she'd slowly come to realize that she didn't really know that much about him at all, at least, not personally. He was the type that liked to keep to himself, and hid their true feelings behind a mask, although his was quite literal.

It was the younger Kakashi who had told her that both of his parents were deceased. Admittedly, Sakura had gathered that might have been the case, as he'd never mentioned either of them. But he'd never actually voiced this fact to her. It was tough for Sakura, she'd honestly believed that in the later years of their friendship, she'd come to know him quite well. It was hard to acknowledge that she'd been incredibly wrong.

She had discovered things through Rin as well, usually just in passing conversation. He'd become a Jōnin at just age thirteen, a fact that surprised Sakura. She knew he was one of the best shinobi in the world, but she'd assumed that had been due to the Sharingan. His cleverness was something that rivalled Shikamaru's, the lazy genius of her own generation.

To say that she was beginning to see him in a new light was an understatement.

Sakura had always seen Kakashi as a perverted, old man who liked to be alone. Now she could saw him as an incredibly talented man who wasn't as ancient as she had originally believed him to be -although the silver hair didn't help him much in that regard- who preferred to be alone because it was easier for him to deal with things.

_"He's been through so much, more than I could ever have dreamed of having to endure. Everyone thinks of him as emotionless, but I know there's a lot more behind that mask he wears. He prefers to keep to himself, and never allows himself to become attached to anyone, because of his intense fear of losing them. He's lost his parents, his teammate, his sensei. I'm all he's really got left, and even then he keeps his distance."_

Rin's words a few days earlier echoed in Sakura's mind. At first, she hadn't been able to see why the brunette loved him, save for the fact that he was incredibly attractive. Well, at least what she could see of him, apparently Rin had seen his face on multiple occasions and could not stress just how handsome he really was behind that mask.

With that thought, a pang of jealousy hit Sakura, confusing her. Why would she be so envious that Rin had seen his face? Admittedly, Sakura had been trying to peek at what lay beneath the mask for years to no avail, but she knew that wasn't the cause. Perhaps it was the closeness he and Rin shared, that she knew so much about him? Or maybe it was because Sakura had recently felt emotions stirring up that had been buried down for years.

She felt her cheeks begin to heat up, and was aware that it was not because of the sun. She'd been fighting the impure thoughts that her brain had been conjuring up lately, of the way she felt when the younger Kakashi was near, that she actually liked it. There had even been a few stray images of she and the silver-haired ninja, writhing between sheets, bare and sweaty and glorious…

Sakura had fought them down, every single time. Even when her mind was considering the possibility of allowing herself to have those feelings and they not be restrained, she wiped them from her head. The implications were incredibly dangerous, and there was no telling of what it could do to the future, to her own time.

Her relationship with her sensei would never be the same. She wouldn't be able to look at him properly ever again. And what if he remembered it? There was already the chance of her going back and having to face some difficult questions if that was to be the case.

And then, as always, there was Rin. Sakura's main reasons for staying away from Kakashi. She knew the brunette would be hurt, and their friendship strained, as well as Rin's relationship with Kakashi. She refused to lose the only proper friend she had in this time, especially as she didn't know how much longer she would be here.

She'd been set on revealing to the Hokage that she knew Kakashi quite well in the future, in hopes that he would be ordered to stay away and she wouldn't have to deal with her conflicted feelings. But at the last second, she'd had a selfish change of heart. It was strangely comforting knowing that he was around, to see that familiar masked face from time to time. However, she hadn't seen him since the confrontation at the hospital a month ago, she'd heard from Rin that he'd been on a mission with ANBU.

It had been nice to know that she could continue on and not have to deal with her thoughts for a while, and yet she found herself missing him. It was utterly confusing and something she did not want to cope with, not with everything else that was going on in her crazy life in the past.

Her mind was hurting from so much thinking.

Training was the only way she knew how to clear it.

"Look out!"

The cry came from behind Sakura, full of urgency and panic. Instinctively she turned around to find where the speaker was, and if the shout had been intended for her. However when she did turn around, all she could see was fire, heading straight for her. Her eyes widened with shock as she turned to jump out of it's path, knowing that her reflexes were much slower now and she would not make it out of the way in time.

Suddenly, a navy blue and silver blur came rushing towards her at an intense speed, knocking her off her feet and onto the ground a few metres away, causing Sakura to land hard on her back on the ground.

It took her a few seconds to realize that they was also an incredible amount of pressure on her body, a weight that hadn't been there previously. Finally it registered in her head that there was someone lying on top of her, the person who had moved her out of harm's way.

A someone who's nose was touching hers through a thin layer of fabric, mismatched eyes of obsidian and crimson staring into the depths of her own viridian ones, his body heat practically scorching her skin, his musky aroma penetrating her nostrils and making her mouth salivate ever so slightly.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked huskily, his voice almost that of a murmur.

Sakura's cheeks, which had been warm before, were now practically on fire. Kakashi's body was pressed up against her own, rather intimately. His current position caused his leg to be between Sakura's thighs, his own pressing up against her crotch, causing heat there as well, much to her mortification.

"I'm…I'm fine." she managed to reply, feeling incredibly flustered.

He made no move to manoeuvre off Sakura, but did close his left eye, hiding the Sharingan much to the pinkette's relief. But her sole focus was how close they were, that once again her gaze was locked with his and her heart was pounding. Couldn't he hear it? It was if her chest had become a drum kit, beating a rhythm that was revealing her forbidden feelings towards him.

"Is she okay?"

Once again, the moment was broken. A man was hurriedly moving towards them, causing Kakashi to break his momentary trance and make his way off Sakura and back to his feet, leaving her on the ground to try and recover from what had just happened.

"She's fine."

"That's good. I'm so sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was here, especially not a civilian."

Sakura looked up at the speaker, noting dark hair and dark eyes. Most likely an Uchiha, as he had used a fire element. With a stab of guilt, Sakura realized that the man was going to die in four years, at Itachi's hand. Should she say anything? Urge him to move out of the village?

No, she couldn't alter the timeline any further. She knew there could potentially be dire consequences already from her trip to the past, and she didn't want to step on any more butterflies and make it worse.

Slowly she got to her feet, brushing off the dirt from her backside, unaware that Kakashi watched this movement with a curious glint in his dark eye.

"I'm sorry, I was just out for my daily run and didn't realize I'd made my way here."

It was a truthful statement, she'd not been aware of how she'd come across the Third Training Ground but knew that it had been a subconscious decision by her mind. Flushing with embarrassment, Sakura bowed her head to the Uchiha and Kakashi.

"I apologize for any inconvenience, I'll let you return to your training."

With that, she turned and headed back to the village, wishing nothing more than to dig herself a hole and hide within it. It was a few seconds later that she heard speaking from behind her, and then the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching.

"I'll walk with you."

She looked to her left to see Kakashi striding alongside her, and raised an eyebrow.

"It's fine, really, I can make it back without any further incidents. You shouldn't cease training just to walk me home."

He didn't turn to look at her, keeping his gaze forward.

"I wouldn't offer to walk with you if I didn't want to."

His sentence caused Sakura to fall silent. She had no reply for his words, and was surprised by them. This Kakashi seemed to be very blunt towards her, and she found herself liking it more and more, it was a refreshing break from the aloofness she had become accustomed to with the older incarnation.

The walked in silence through the village, until he spoke again.

"I apologize for what happened the last time we met."

Sakura halted mid-stride and looked at him, shock in her delicate features. Kakashi also stopped walking, and when the pinkette said nothing, he sighed and explained himself.

"I'm usually quite perceptive, and excellent with reading people. But with you…I just can't figure you out at all. Just when I think I've come to understand who you are, you do something that just throws it all out of the window and I'm back at square one. You seem to have this incredible talent of perplexing me. It frustrated me and I took it out on you, I wasn't aware until Rin spoke to me about it. So once again, I am sorry."

Sakura was breathless as his apology, astonished that such words were falling from his hidden lips. Then when it began to sink in, she narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms.

"I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself. It surprised me that you were so exasperated by me, especially over things that I don't have control over. You want to know who I am? I'm Sakura. I don't know why you have to become so worked up and know every little inch of who I am as a person. You hardly know me, we have only come across one another a handful of times. If you really want to learn who Sakura is, then just talk to me and I will tell you what you wish to know."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to be stunned into silence. When he said nothing in return, Sakura turned on her heel and kept walking down the road, noticing that there seemed to be a large group gathering outside a nearby shop. Other villagers that walked past the group stared and then whispered to one another as the moved away.

Then Sakura heard it - there was a child crying.

The sound was full of anguish, and the pinkette found herself running towards the group to find out just what was happening. The villagers that were blocking off the scene in front of her suddenly shifted momentarily, allowing Sakura to see just who the crying belonged to.

A young boy, no older than four, with sunshine coloured hair and whiskered marks on his cheeks, sobbing uncontrollably as people around him stared and whispered to one another.

Sakura's heart sank.

Naruto.

She could feel her own heart hurting, and tears beginning to sting in her eyes. She knew about the way the villagers had treated him during his childhood, that they resented him purely for containing the demon fox that had almost destroyed the village, but never could have imagined such a scene before. He'd never experienced love at this age, never had anyone take to him kindly, save for the Hokage who even then had kept his distance.

Sakura would put a stop to it. She would make sure that Naruto at least had one good day to look back fondly upon in his life, and that not all people were cruel and uncaring.

As she went to move forward, a hand clasped itself around her wrist in an effort to pull her back. She looked up to see the owner, temper flaring when she met Kakashi's obsidian eye once more.

"I wouldn't if I were you. That kid's dangerous."

His warning just made her even more upset and angry. She looked at him with such ferocity in her jade-green orbs that his own eye widened, but he did not loosen his grip.

"I don't care what he is. I'm going to restore his faith in humanity and teach him that not everyone in the world is a heartless bastard."

Mustering as much strength as she could, Sakura flung her wrist out of Kakashi's grasp and moved into the crowd, leaving Kakashi stunned as he looked from her retreating form to his hand and then back again, astounded by the display of incredible strength she had just exhibited.

The pinkette did not dwell on this, instead she pushed through the group and found herself standing in front of the young Naruto, who's hands were covering his face as he cried and therefore he had not noticed her presence. The crowd around them hushed as Sakura bent down and placed a hand gently on Naruto's shoulder, causing him to gasp from the sudden gesture and drop his hands, his blue eyes that were filled with tears looking into her green ones.

"Hi there." Sakura spoke softly, giving him her best smile.

He sniffled, but said nothing, continuing to stare at her.

"My name is Sakura. What's yours?" she continued brightly, knowing the answer already but attempting to coax him into talking to her.

"Nar-Naruto." he managed to reply, his voice shaky from the crying.

"That's a nice name. I like it."

The little boy's lips tugged with what appeared to be a small smile.

"Now Naruto, can you tell me what's wrong?"

The forming grin disappeared almost as quickly as it had emerged, and tears once again appeared in his eyes.

"I…I wanted to get that." he pointed to a brightly coloured kite that was displayed in the window. "I saved up all my pocket money." he reached into his pocket, pulling out a frog purse that looked eerily similar to the one Sakura knew of in the future.

"I wanted to get it but the man said no, and then said I couldn't go in the shop ever again. Then he pushed me out." Naruto continued, his bottom lip beginning to quiver.

Sakura turned to the shop, her eyes narrowing. The treatment of Naruto was wrong, and she wouldn't stand for it. She would fix this. She would get Naruto his kite.

Keeping a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder, she stood up, turning her attention to the crowd who were still watching her with curious eyes.

"If you have nothing better to do with your time than watch a little boy crying helplessly, then you are not people worthy to be living in this village." she practically snarled, causing most of the villagers to back away slightly. "It disgusts me to know that you have stood idly by, watching him in distress and instead of choosing to help, you whisper and gossip and point fingers. Get out of here!"

She moved her hands up in an threatening indication for the villagers to move away, which reluctantly they did, most shooting looks back at her as they left. But Sakura paid them no mind, her focus returning to Naruto, who was looking up at her in awe.

She grinned down at him. "Now let's go get that kite of yours."

Sakura offered out a hand to Naruto, who looked at it cautiously before tentatively placing his own small one within her grasp. She then lead him into the shop, noticing the hesitance he showed as they stepped through the doorway, He moved closer to her, looking around the shop in fear.

The shopkeeper appeared behind the counter, a fake beaming smile on his aged face until it disappeared at the sight of Naruto, who then cowered behind Sakura.

"You-"

"Hi there, I was wondering if I could purchase the kite in the window?"

Interrupting what was undoubtedly meant to be a threat in Naruto's direction, Sakura wore her own fake smile, it was sickly sweet and she detested having to use it. The shopkeeper looked between her and the little boy who was desperately trying to hide himself behind the pinkette.

"I'm sorry lady, but I've told that boy that he ain't allowed in my shop."

Sakura's expression didn't falter.

"Well if I can buy that kite, we will leave and never come back."

"I don't want-"

Sakura's cheery face instantly disappeared and was placed with a much less pleasant expression.

"Discrimination is a disgusting trait to have, and you should feel ashamed for displaying it. Now I'm promising that he will never return here again, not because you have told him to, but because I doubt he will want to have to deal with someone as awful as you. He's a child. For you to treat him in such a way is despicable, and I hope that it means you can't sleep well tonight."

The shopkeeper opened his mouth, but no words expelled from it. Sakura regained her sickly sweet smile.

"I'll just place the money here, and grab the kite on our way out, shall I?" she said cheerily, reaching into her sandal and pulling the money out of it, thankful that she always kept money on her person, just in case. She placed it on the counter, making sure it was the right amount before turning to the window and taking the kite out of the display and handing it to Naruto, who accepted it wordlessly, the look on his face that of pure amazement.

The two made their way outside without a backwards glance, and Sakura was pleased to find that the crowd of villagers had completely dispersed. She went to turn to Naruto, when she felt a small pair of arms wrap themselves around her legs.

"Thanks."

Naruto beamed up at her, his face in a toothy smile. Sakura felt an overwhelming amount of happiness surge through her body, pleased that she had been able to show Naruto some kindness when his young life had been severely lacking in it.

"It's my pleasure." she told him, patting his sunshine locks fondly. "It's lunchtime now, and I'm getting pretty hungry. What about you, Naruto? Would you like some lunch?"

She'd been expecting the smile to widen, but to her dismay, it fell.

"All I have this is." he replied sadly, holding out his frog purse.

Sakura gave a chuckle, causing the boy to look up at her with a quizzical look on his young face.

"I'll pay for you, silly. You keep that money you saved for something super special, okay?"

Naruto paused as he let Sakura's words sink it.

"But you paid for this!" he exclaimed, holding up the kite, clearly puzzled by the way Sakura was acting towards him, having never experienced any kind of treatment similar.

"I want to take you to lunch, Naruto. Say yes for me, please?"

His golden eyebrows knitted together with confusion, but he nodded nonetheless, making Sakura beam down at him before offering her hand to him once more, which he took.

Hand in hand, the two trotted down the street, Sakura noticing the many looks that were aimed in their direction by various villagers they passed. She paid them no attention, focusing solely on the whiskered boy who walked alongside her, his face bright with a smile that Sakura knew was rare in this time.

She was glad that she'd made him clearly happy, even if it could only be for one day. She knew he'd cherish it forever, and that it would show him that not everyone was so awful, that there were actually people with compassion who cared. Naruto always seemed to see the best in people, even when it seemed almost impossible. Gaara was a prime example of that.

Sakura had never understood how he could see people in such a light, not after how he had been treated in his youth. Perhaps she would find out, perhaps this meeting was of some importance in that respect.

"Ra…ra…ramen…Ichi…ra…ra…ku." Naruto attempted to read the small restaurant's sign.

"That's right, Ramen Ichiraku."

She'd taken Naruto to his favourite place in all of Konoha. Feeling nostalgic, she couldn't have thought of a better place to take little Naruto to for lunch. She looked down at him, wondering if he'd ever been here before. Judging my his surprised expression, she guessed that was a negative. Still, there was always a first time.

The moved into the stall, Sakura lifting Naruto up on to the seat as he was too small to clamber onto it himself. Sakura had to admit that this younger incarnation of her best friend was incredibly adorable. Although she'd never tell his older self, of course. That would only spurn Naruto's feelings on, which Sakura did not want at all.

Teuchi appeared behind the counter, Sakura smiling at the familiar face.

"Teuchi!" she exclaimed, not realizing that he would have no idea who she was.

His smile faltered and mixed with confusion. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Sakura laughed nervously to cover up her slip. "No, I've just heard about you. I'm excited for ramen, that's all."

Those were words she never thought she'd hear herself say.

"I'm named after ramen." Naruto piped up, and both Sakura and Teuchi looked over to him.

"Oh yeah? What's your name buddy?" Teuchi asked, and Sakura found herself grateful that he was such a lovely man. She'd been aware that Teuchi was one of the few people who had never judged Naruto, and had treated him kindly over the years. Now that they were being introduced, Sakura knew that the sunshine-haired boy had a positive person in his life.

"Naruto, it's what the fishy things with the swirls is called." the whiskered boy explained knowingly, causing Teuchi to chuckle.

"That's a very nice name indeed. Now what can I get you two?" he asked, looking to Sakura, Naruto following suit

"Two bowls of miso ramen, with extra roasted pork fillet, please!" she ordered, knowing that is was, or was at least going to become, Naruto's favourite.

A short while later, their bowls arrived, Naruto deciding instantly that he liked it. Sakura chuckled when he exclaimed that he wanted to eat it every day, knowing just how close it was to the truth. They ate in silence, save for the occasional slurping noise from Naruto, who as a four-year old, did not have the best etiquette when it came to eating.

Afterwards they left Ichiraku and made their way to the park, Sakura knowing that she had to return home shortly to clean up the place. She sat Naruto down on a bench, taking a seat beside him.

"Naruto, I just want you to know that no matter when it seems like life is bad and when people aren't treating you nicely, it does get better. One day you'll be loved by the whole village and everyone will be nice to you." she told him solemnly, but with a smile on her face.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really? How do you know?"

Sakura laughed and tapped her nose. "Trust me, I know."

Naruto's face scrunched up in thought for a moment. "That would be really cool. And when I'm older, will you be my girlfriend?"

Her eyes widening momentarily, Sakura let out another peal of laughter. "I guess we will see what happens. Just promise me that you will always stay true to yourself, and never let anyone get you down."

The whiskered boy nodded. "Promise."

"I should really head home now, but you should definitely take that kite for a flight."

Sakura stood up from the bench, Naruto following before she bent down and embraced him in a hug. His small body froze at first from the sudden gesture, but eventually he wrapped his own arms around her shoulders.

"Thanks Sakura. You're so nice. I love my kite. I'm going to name it after you."

Chuckling once more, Sakura let go of Naruto and stood back up. "Well, it is a pretty name, but not as cool as Naruto." she exclaimed, ruffling his hair. "You take care now."

It hurt to leave him, but Sakura turned and began to walk away, knowing that the longer she spent with the sunshine-haired boy, the more dangerous it became. She knew she shouldn't have interacted with him in the first place, but there was no way she was going to sit by and watch him cry due to the cruelty of others. She could give Naruto one good day. There was no way she would pass up that opportunity.

"Will I ever see you again?" shouted a voice from behind her.

Sakura turned back to Naruto, a beaming grin on her lips.

"Definitely." she called back, knowing the truth in her words.

Little did Sakura know, that meeting was the start of many things. It was the start of Naruto's love for ramen, the start of his ability to see the good in people, the start of his love for girls with pink hair. He wouldn't remember her name, nor her face clearly, only that the girl with hair the colour of sakura blossoms was the first person to ever truly show him kindness.

And so she continued on home, unaware of the figure that followed her, and had been for quite some time. A perplexed person who was baffled by the pinkette, and was determined to find out just who Sakura was. A shinobi who had been labelled a genius and felt like an idiot when he was in her presence. A man who tried to keep away from others, but couldn't help but want to be near her.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ Sakura meeting Naruto has been planned since the beginning, just like her seeing Itachi and Sasuke. I wanted their interaction to be reflected in the timeline, with little things such as his obsession with ramen. I don't know if it properly fits in with canon, but I like how it turned out, and I'm happy._

_**2.**__ Once again, the Kakashi/Sakura interaction wasn't meant to be in here at all. I was going to have them possibly bump in to one another in the street, but I couldn't resist another steamy moment. I know this is the third one in a row, but I can assure you, things will be heating up properly within the next few chapters._

_**3.**__ Longest chapter this far, at 6100 words. Which makes me happy because I had so many issues with it. I still don't think it's perfect but once again, I'm probably underestimating myself. As long as you guys enjoy it, I'll be a happy author._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_I apologize for the late update. I would have uploaded this chapter sooner except that my internet usage had gone over, and I had to wait for it to refresh before I could do anything. As soon as it refreshes, I'll be updating the story with this new chapter. Sorry for keeping you waiting!_

_As always, the response to this story has been phenomenal. I love getting notifications of new reviews, follows and favourites (especially when someone has done all three!). You are the real reason this story is still going strong. It's refreshing to find others who love it as much as I do._

_I'm sure you guys are probably sick of my author's notes, going on and on about how grateful I am to the readers and how happy it makes me. Once again, I apologize. But I feel I can't thank you guys enough. And I want to have some kind of interaction with you. If you ever have a question or want to chat, feel free to PM me or leave it in the review. Don't be afraid, I'm a very nice person, I assure you. Us Aussies are known for our charms. :P_

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER TEN

"I'm so full!"

Sakura leaned back in her chair, rubbing a hand gently over her slightly expanded belly as she nodded in agreement with Rin's statement. The brunette was mirroring her gesture, looking over at the two empty bowls that sat before them. Having finished their shifts at the hospital earlier that evening, the girls had decided to treat themselves to a very satisfying meal at the local ? restaurant. It had also provided the perfect opportunity for the two of them to hang out, which was becoming much more difficult due to their varying schedules.

"I can't remember the last time I ate so much." Sakura exclaimed, taking her small cup of sake and taking a sip, relishing in the burning sensation that ran down her throat.

"Me neither. But it was well worth it." Rin replied, leaning forward so that she could fold her arms on the table, observing the pinkette with curious chocolate eyes.

"I was meant to ask you earlier, how are things going with Kakashi?"

Sakura nearly choked on her drink, but managed to cover it up. Setting the cup back on the table where it could do her no further harm, she avoided Rin's gaze. Had she actually heard those words fall from Rin's lips? Was she honestly asking that question? Sakura didn't know what to tell her.

She'd seen Kakashi here and there, usually bumping into him on the street, most of the time literally. He seemed to have this peculiar knack of showing up just when she had been thinking about him, although it was always unintentional thoughts. Unfortunately, her imagination liked to run rampant, often in what seemed to be an attempt at sabotaging her rationality.

Not much was ever said between them, mostly just polite greetings and small talk before she made some kind of excuse to leave. She could have sworn that every time she turned her back to the silver-haired Jōnin and walked away, his sole eye lingered on her retreating form. And yet when she spun around to confirm her suspicions, there was never any indication of him ever being there in the first place.

Sakura had unwillingly become aware that she was developing unwanted and forbidden feelings for Kakashi. She'd tried to deny it for so long, but eventually she had to acknowledge that they were there and were not dissipating anytime soon.

However, it did not mean that she would give in to these feelings and pursue anything with him. That was absolutely prohibited. She couldn't begin to fathom the implications that would result from any kind of romantic relationship between them.

Recently, she'd been attempting at pushing he and Rin together. Not simply because selfishly she believed that if the two become a couple it would help diminish her own feelings as he would officially be off limits, but because she knew just how strongly Rin felt for him. She had yearned for Kakashi for what appeared to be years.

Besides, just who was Sakura to come in and break Rin's heart?

She knew hardly anything about Kakashi compared to Rin, who was well educated about the silver-haired shinobi. They shared history with one another, had witnessed and lamented in the deaths of their sensei and team-mate together. Sakura knew she could never contend with such things, and would never dare try to.

"What do you mean?" she questioned Rin's inquiry, not understanding just what the brunette meant.

"Well, is he treating you a bit nicer? Not so threatening?" Rin raised a brunette eyebrow with what Sakura recognised as suspicion.

Relief flooded through Sakura's system. She'd been so worked up that Rin had meant something else, asking about the often strange and confusing interactions she shared with Kakashi.

"Oh, yeah. I hardly see him as it is, but he is much more friendly when I do."

Rin's face broke into a genuine smile. "Well that's good. I know he has a lot of faults and can be rather blunt and abrasive at times, but he isn't a bad person."

"I know." Sakura answered truthfully.

"His biggest problem is his insatiable curiosity. You're new in town, he doesn't know just who you are, where you come from, and he wants to know these things, to the point where he becomes unrelentingly obnoxious." Rin added thoughtfully.

Sakura waved a hand in dismissal of the brunette's statement. "It's almost like new toy syndrome that you get with young children. Eventually he'll get bored of trying to figure me out and then move on. As long as he doesn't take it too far and breaks into my place and invades my privacy, then everything will be fine."

She gave a small chuckle to aid her jesting words, which was met with a somewhat forced smile from Rin. Sakura knew that she would never speak ill of Kakashi, and detested when anyone else did so. The pinkette had been so accustomed to making teasing comments about her sensei that it had become almost like a second nature.

Rin was fiercely loyal, a trait that Sakura greatly admired. She liked to think that it was a quality that she also contained, as she would fight tooth and nail for her friends, and would not sit there and allow anyone to slander them. The amount of times she had stood up for Naruto in the past were unaccountable. However, if it was a harmless joking manner, then that was fine, and she would usually join in.

She wondered how Rin would fit in with the rest of her friends. Ino would love her immediately, not just for being a fellow medic-nin but also for her passion and talents in fashion. Hinata would get along with her easily, Rin's kindness would ease the Hyuuga heiress' shyness instantly. Naruto would somehow coax her out of her shell and bring out her uninhibited side. Sai would most likely observe from the background and then paint her as a way of getting to know her.

Sakura enjoyed her friendship with the brunette, they had become fast friends and she was already aware at how tough it would be to leave Rin behind when she returned to her own time. Their interaction was effortless, the conversation always flowed freely and never needed many prompts to keep it going.

And yet, Sakura harboured a secret.

And good friends didn't keep secrets from one another.

The Hokage had forbidden Sakura to tell anyone of her predicament, but it was becoming more and more difficult to keep it to herself and deal with alone. Rin was by far the best friend she had in this time, and Sakura was not even aware of her existence in the future. She didn't see Rin knowing as dangerous in any way, except for if the girl freaked out. But the pinkette knew that Rin would never tell another soul, and that was important.

"Rin?" Sakura begun, deciding that it was time to tell the brunette the truth.

"Yeah?" Rin responded, looking up from the table with raised eyebrows.

"I need to tell you something. Something important." Sakura admitted, causing a slight frown of confusion to appear on Rin's lips. "You see, I'm-"

"Rin-san! Sakura-san!"

Sakura's words were cut off by a voice calling out their names rather loudly, both girls turning to see the familiar sight of an ANBU with a bird mask rushing through the restaurant towards them, the same shinobi who had appeared at Sakura's door when the Hokage had asked to see her about the curtains.

He approached their table, and Sakura could see from his rapidly moving chest that he was breathing quite heavily, and had most likely run at top speeds to find them.

"I am sorry for interrupting your evening, but the Hokage had summoned you both to his office. You are to head there immediately."

Rin and Sakura looked from the ANBU to one another, wearing mirrored expressions that were a mixture of bewilderment and surprise. Without another word they stood up from their chairs simultaneously, and having already paid for their meals, quickly dashed out of the restaurant following the bird-masked shinobi.

They stuck to the streets, running at a fast pace, but Sakura was aware that both Rin and the unknown ANBU were restraining themselves so that she could keep up with them. In their eyes, Sakura was a simple civilian with medical talents. But the sad fact was that they could easily jump up over the roofs of the buildings, and so could she. It was by far a much quicker route to the Hokage Mansion and Sakura was almost painfully aware that the other two were much swifter and quicker than they appeared to be at that moment.

Eventually they made their way to the large red and white building, heading up the many stairs until the reached the Hokage's office. Sakura and Rin took a moment to catch their breaths, although it was mostly for Sakura's sake, she couldn't remember the last time she had run so quickly. Her daily runs were always much more leisurely paced.

After a swift knock on the door, they were ushered inside, where Sakura was surprised to find two more ANBU standing before the Hokage's desk, both appearing to be male. One had light blue hair that stuck out from his scalp in all different directions, the other sandy blonde locks that were slicked back and reached his shoulders. The blue-haired one wore a mask that appeared to be a wolf, the other a cat.

And then in the shadowy corner of the room was another ANBU, this one free of his animal mask and leaning against the wall, arms folded. Sakura was surprised to see Kakashi there, and could tell that Rin shared that feeling. Her attention then turned to the Hokage, in hope that they would discover why they had been summoned so urgently.

The elderly man cleared his throat before speaking.

"Now that you are all present, I will inform you of why I have gathered you all here tonight at such short notice. There have been two reports of children having gone missing in two separate villages late last night. Not much else has been discovered, but I have a suspicion that one of those incidents could have been at the hands of Orochimaru."

Sakura's eyes widened, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by The Third. Luckily for her, no-one else appeared to have witnessed it.

"For those of you who are unaware, Orochimaru is a former student of mine, who defected from the village when it was discovered that he was taking children and experimenting on them in an attempt to make himself more powerful. I want him brought back here so he can face the consequences for the terrible things he has done. I will be splitting you into two squads, and sending you to these villages to see what you can find out, and discover if Orochimaru is indeed behind these kidnappings."

Sakura was in shock. She was being sent on a mission? On an actual, proper mission? She wanted to rejoice, and found it challenging to wipe the beaming smile of her face. Finally, she was actually able to do something ninja-esque. Her limbs would be able to regain the muscle she was positive had deteriorated due to not being able to train. She was looking forward to leaving the village and experiencing a little bit of her old life, her true life.

"It seems you have forgotten, Hokage-sama, that Sakura is not a shinobi?"

The smile faltered.

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall and approached the Hokage's desk, his obsidian eye somewhat darkened. "Sending a civilian on this kind of mission is usually prohibited, and I don't understand why it is necessary. She is also a newcomer to this village, how are we to expect that she will put her life on the line for us?"

Sakura's grin had completely disappeared. The joy she had felt at the prospect of being sent on a mission had diminished. She wanted to smack Kakashi, tell him that missions like this were a piece of cake for her, and that she was a kunoichi that needed to be watched out for. But she kept quiet, opting to glare at him instead.

The Third sighed before answering Kakashi. "I have no other options. If these children are found and have indeed been taken by Orochimaru, they will need urgent medical attention. We don't have many medics who are also shinobi, and those who are, besides Rin, are out of the village on other missions and would not make it back here in time. Sakura has already proven herself to be an exceptional medic, I am sure she will be able to handle herself."

He looked over to Sakura, and Kakashi did the same. She nodded her head, agreeing with the older man's statement. "I may not look it, but I can be pretty tough."

Her jade eyes moved over to Rin, who grinned, before turning back to The Hokage. "Alright. Now that's settled, the squads. Squad one will be Kakashi and Rin, you'll be heading to Takumi Village in the Land of Rivers. Squad two will be Hideki, Masato and Sakura, you three will be going to Nadeshiko Village in the Land of Water."

Sakura turned to Rin once more, who couldn't keep the jubilant smile off her pretty face. Finally, she and Kakashi would be on a mission together and get to spend time with one another. The brunette was obviously joyous with the arrangement, and as much as Sakura tried to feel happy for her, she couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that coursed through her body.

"I think Sakura should be with me."

The pinkette felt her cheeks instantly flush with the words, so calmly spoken and unaware of the impact they had. Rin's smile had frozen in place, The Third raising an eyebrow at Kakashi once more, who seemed to have many issuess with the mission, or so it seemed.

"Wait, maybe that's not such a good idea? I mean, Kakashi and Rin were formerly on a squad together, surely they would be better off with one another?" Sakura protested, horrified at the prospect of being alone on a mission with Kakashi. It was already difficult for her to keep her growing affections for him at bay, and that was with them rarely seeing one another.

How on earth was she going to cope with being alone with him for a number of days?

Kakashi ignored Sakura's objection and continued on with his explanation.

"Sakura is a civilian and therefore unable to fight back if we come across any enemy shinobi. I feel that I'm more capable of protecting her than Hideki and Masato." he looked over to the two masked ANBU before returning his sole gaze to the elderly man that sat before him.

"And what makes you so sure that you are more proficient in this respect?" The Third challenged, leaning back in his chair.

"I wouldn't be so famous otherwise."

The Hokage chuckled at Kakashi's audacious statement. "I see you have a point. Perhaps it would be better for Sakura to go with you instead. Rin, you don't mind, do you?"

All eyes turned to Rin, who kept a smile on her lips. "Not at all, Hokage-sama. If this is the best chance Sakura has at remaining safe during this mission, then I agree with Kakashi."

There was something strange about the expression on Rin's face, the smile on her lips was not forced but there was something off about it, it didn't quite reach her eyes. Sakura knew that she was disappointment at not being teamed up with Kakashi, but there would be no resentment on the brunette's end and she would never voice these feelings. As long as the switch was for the safety of a friend, she understood.

Sakura wanted to be like Rin. In any way she could. Rin was kind, generous, friendly, sweet. There was no-one she came across who didn't adore her, except for her family. The pinkette admired her, and aspired to one day be just like her. She didn't have a mean bone in her body. Sakura liked to punch people when they annoyed her.

It would take time, but one day, she wanted to be like Rin.

The Hokage stood up from his chair, handing Kakashi a scroll, and another to the blue-haired ANBU. "You are to leave first thing in the morning. Once you reach the villages, you are to find clues, talk to villagers, find out anything you can. If you discover a lead, follow it, but cautiously. If you come across Orochimaru's base, do not engage in battle. Send for back-up, then survey until they arrive. If you find nothing, return to the village at once."

Everyone in the room nodded in compliance.

"You are dismissed. Go and rest up, you will all have a long journey tomorrow."

They turned to leave, Rin opening the door before the Hokage spoke again.

"Sakura, may I have a word?"

The others looked back to gaze at Sakura suspiciously, her eyes widened in surprise as she was singled out. Wordlessly she spun back around to face the Hokage, moving towards the desk as she heard the door click shut behind her, signalling that the others had left.

The Third sat back down in his chair, looking up at Sakura curiously.

"I know you must be surprised that I'm sending you on a mission. What I said to Kakashi was true, as well as the fact that I know you are truthfully a kunoichi. I had no other options, you were my last hope, so to speak." he admitted, frowning slightly.

"I promise you, I'm a talented kunoichi. I am very skilled with what I do. Most compare me to my master, Tsunade-shishou, others say that I am on my way to surpassing her."

The Hokage's lips formed a small smile. "While it pleases me to hear that one of my cherished students has done so well in the future, there is a catch with this mission. You are not to engage in any kind of fighting whatsoever, unless it means the difference between life and death. Listen to Kakashi, let him protect you. If he falls, you run as fast as you can back here. If the enemy prevents you from escaping and attempt to kill you, then you may battle them."

Sakura nodded. "I understand."

"Although I am curious to know why you did not wish to be placed in a team with Kakashi. He is by far one of the best shinobi in the world."

"I know, I know." the pinkette sighed.

Of course she knew. He was her sensei. Everyone had told her just how lucky she was to have such a man as her teacher, that he was a living legend and just how amazing his talents were. She'd seen him in action, been absolutely astounded at the speed in which he formed seals. His skills were incredible.

"Are you aware of Kakashi in your time?"

Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she realized her slip-up.

"Yes." she admitted, before adding, "Everyone knows of the famous Copy-Cat ninja."

The true extent of her relationship with Kakashi in the future would never be revealed to anyone in the past. It would stir up too much trouble that she didn't want to have to deal with. And it would mean she would have to keep away from him. Which was something else she didn't desire.

"I see." The Hokage stroked his beard.

He seemed to accept her answer, and didn't ask her anything more on the subject.

"One more thing," he spoke up again, "when I mentioned Orochimaru's name, you reacted. I assume you have also heard of him."

Sakura's features darkened. "I've met him."

This surprised the Hokage, who's eyebrows narrowed in annoyance. It meant that Orochimaru would not be caught on this mission if he and Sakura had come into contact with one another.

She wore her own look of resentment, thinking back to the Forest of Death, where she had first come across Orochimaru. He'd gone ahead and given Sasuke the curse seal, kick-starting his descent into darkness. Shortly after that, he'd engaged The Third in battle, which ended in the elderly man's death. She'd never forgiven the snake-like man for those deeds, plus all the other dreadful activities he had partook in.

The Third sighed once more. "If you have met him, I'm assuming that means this mission to capture him will be a failure. Still, if we can find the children, then not all is lost." he lamented, entwining his fingers together.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I know I have to be careful about what I say." Sakura replied, looking sheepish. She'd become more relaxed now, simply because she'd been in the past for just over three months without any major incidents. At first she'd been so cautious, over time she'd become more relaxed about everything.

"It's alright Sakura. It's tough on my end too. If I knew everything that were to happen, both good and bad…" he trailed off, his gaze turning to the nearby window that overlooked the village. "No, it's better not knowing. Knowledge of the future is dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. This is why you cannot tell anyone anything."

Sakura winced. She'd been planning on explaining her true situation to Rin earlier.

"Do you know how long it will take for the counter jutsu to be found?"

She originally hadn't expected to be stuck in the past for such a long amount of time. She'd naively thought it would have been two weeks at most. The longer time went on, the more attached and accustomed she became to her life in this time. It was becoming more and more difficult for her to accept what she was building up in this time would become void when she left.

"Still no luck. Without knowing the original jutsu, it's much more challenging to find one that counteracts it. Chances are there will have to be one created, and we all know that takes time. All I ask is that you be patient. I know at times it can be tough, and I have no doubt that you miss your true home, but we are trying."

Sakura nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"You are free to go, Sakura. Just remember what I said earlier, about keeping your true talents to yourself." The Third added, rubbing his tired eyes wearily.

The pinkette nodded again, before leaving the office wordlessly. She was finally going on a mission, but wouldn't be able to actually enjoy it as she usually would. She loved travelling through the trees, showing off her effortless chakra control. She knew that they would have to travel via the road, as Kakashi knew her as a 'civilian'.

This meant their mission would take much longer, and it would be much harder for Sakura to keep her skills to herself, especially if they came across any enemies. Kakashi was already wary of her, and seemed to have his visible eye observing her carefully whenever she was in the same vicinity as himself.

As she scuttled down the stairs and back into the village, she couldn't help but wonder how different this mission would be to the countless others she had been on with the older Kakashi. Would he be the same kind of leader? Would his fighting techniques differ in anyway?

All she could deduce was because this version was younger, he wouldn't know as many techniques as her sensei, nor would he be able to use the Sharingan for as long.

"Nervous?"

The voice came behind her, and upwards. Sakura turned around and tilted her head to look up as Kakashi jumped down from the roof, landing perfectly on his feet beside her, his hands in his pockets. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Once again with the sneaking up on me." she reprimanded him, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Not my fault it's so easy to do so." he rebutted with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Huffing, Sakura walked past him, quickening her pace in an attempt to get away from him and home sooner. Unfortunately, he strode up alongside her, and even in the darkness of the night she could still see the amusement that shone in his sole eye.

"I thought we could meet up at five in the morning outside the west gates. We will go through our mission and have a quick breakfast before leaving."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his statement.

"Knowing you, I'll get there at five and you won't show up until at least nine."

Kakashi stopped in his steps, causing Sakura to do the same. She turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Your comment. I don't understand what you mean. I have never been late to anything in my entire life. I am always prompt and on time." he retorted, much to Sakura's surprise.

"Well, uh, forget I said anything then." she spoke, flustered as she realized she was standing outside the inn. "I'll see you in the morning. Five am, by the west gates."

Without waiting to hear a farewell from Kakashi, Sakura rushed inside and up to her room, quickly shutting the door behind her.

Her comment had been idiotic, and clearly aimed towards the older Kakashi. She'd never known him to be on time, although it seemed apparent that there was a time when he was always prompt and never late. It made it even clearer to Sakura that this was not the Kakashi she'd known all her teenage life. This incarnation was incredibly different, almost painfully so.

Her heart rejoiced at that fact, her mind deducing that it made her feelings for him much more acceptable now. But still, she would fight them as long as she could, and when she could battle them no more, she would have to lock herself in her room until she could be returned home. It was why she avoided him as much as possible.

But now, they would be forced to spend days alongside one another. She wouldn't be able to avoid him or even have some separation time. In order for Kakashi to protect her, he would have to keep his eye on her at all times.

Sakura pouted. Somehow the mission didn't seem as exciting as it had only an hour earlier.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ This was originally going to be a completely different chapter, of just Rin and Sakura catching up and talking, and being summoned to the Hokage's office at the end. So glad I changed it. I had trouble writing it, was growing bored of the scenario, then BAM chapters got merged and here we are._

_**2.**__ Things are getting interesting, and a mission! I couldn't help myself. It gives Sakura more time with Kakashi and more opportunities for her to 'slip-up'. I'm evil like that. :)_

_**3.**__ There's going to be some hot moments in the next few chapters, so keep an eye out for those!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	11. Chapter 11

**_DAMN YOU CANON!_**

_So for those of you who are current with the manga, it does kind of give this story a buzz kill. I actually considered changing the story around to fit in more with what we now know what happened (trying to keep vague for those of you who do not read the manga, although you really should) but then I realized that wouldn't work, due to the fact that Rin in my story is eighteen. _

_Despite this, I hope you all still continue to read this story and enjoy it. I'm going to keep writing it for you anyway. I did actually consider discontinuing the story, but only for a millisecond, I swear. I love this story more than I've loved any of my other stories that I have written. I mean, I do love them, but not as much as this one._

_…aaaaaand I'm rambling again._

_Thank you so much for the response to the last chapter! I love how some of you reviewers are already making guesses at what will happen. So once again, I present you with an (slightly) early update for the weekend ahead. And we're so close to 300 reviews! Amazing!_

_As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"I wish I was still in bed…"

As she mumbled to herself, Sakura stifled a yawn. It was early morning, the sun had not yet risen and the village was still shrouded in the night's darkness. Luckily the weather had warmed up and it was rather balmy in the morning air, opposed to the cool nip that Sakura detested during early meet-ups in winter.

She shifted the bag on her back, it was practically identical to the one she owned back home, clasping diagonally across her chest. It was strange, it had been so long since she'd prepared for a mission and she found herself realizing ironically just how unprepared she actually was. Usually as soon as she was handed a mission scroll or informed by either Kakashi or Yamato, she'd cram in a strenuous training session to ensure that her body was still in peak condition.

This time, she'd been unable to do anything of the sort. Instead, Sakura had headed home and made sure to pack all the essentials, such as food and water, and of course her medical kit. Normally she'd also sharpen and polish her weapons, but here, she had none, dropping the only kunai that she'd had with her during her fight with the rogue ninja who had put her in this situation.

It had also been quite some time since she'd had to cope with such little sleep. When she had early shifts at the hospital, she'd simply gone to bed early too. She hadn't been afforded that luxury this time. Her eyelids felt heavy, her green eyes itchy with tiredness. She even walked with a slight slouch, although this was something she was not consciously aware of.

Her outfit was the very same one she'd worn when she had arrived back in time, complete with the cuts and tears. She had managed to get most of the blood out of her dress, luckily what was left was practically unnoticeable due to it's crimson hue. The tights had been patched up poorly here and there, the only thing that didn't seem to have any damage at all was the pair of boots that clad her feet.

Simply put, Sakura hadn't seen the point in wearing any of her new clothes that she had bought since being in this time. There was a good chance of something happening to Kakashi and herself along the way, a fight most likely, and she preferred to be wearing her already ruined clothes if that occurred.

She knew that if a battle transpired, she was to hide until Kakashi defeated them all, and if it took a turn for the worse, she was to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. The only time she was allowed to use her kunoichi talents was if there was no chance of escape, if she was about to be killed.

_"You are not to engage in any kind of fighting whatsoever, unless it means the difference between life and death."_

Sakura frowned as she recalled the Hokage's words. Surely everyone would be better off if she contributed to the fight? If she could aid Kakashi in battle?

No, it was too dangerous. The consequences could be dire, she had to keep reminding herself of that, of everything she did. She knew it would have been better if she had just hidden in her room at the inn this whole time until she could return home, then there would be no risk of changing anything in the future. But Sakura wasn't the kind of person to just sit idly by and wait for the time to pass. She was a girl who liked to use her time properly, have a purpose and have some kind of distraction. If she were to keep to herself, her brain would over think every little detail and possibly implode upon itself.

Whatever happened during her mission, she couldn't let Kakashi know anything. He was annoyingly suspicious, a little too much in her opinion. It was already proving difficult to keep her truth hidden, and being alone with him for a number of days was just going to make it all the more problematic.

"Sakura!"

At the sound of the familiar voice calling her name, Sakura spun around to see the smiling face of Rin, who was gradually approaching her. Sakura grinned back, but could see that there was still something wrong with her mocha-haired friend. The smile on Rin's face once again did not meet her chocolate eyes. And it worried Sakura.

"Good morning Rin." Sakura greeted her as Rin came to her side, and the two began to walk down the street.

"Are you excited for the mission?" Rin asked, Sakura noting that it was casual banter.

"A little. It will be nice to see some new places." the pinkette replied, inwardly scolding herself for lying.

She'd seen new places. Many of them, across the five great nations. But Rin couldn't know that.

"I'm looking forward to going to the Land of Water again. It's been some time since I was last there." the brunette replied thoughtfully.

Sakura nodded in response, but said nothing. They walked in silence, the streets of Konoha eerily quiet, but that was the norm for so early in the morning. Most citizens were still asleep in their beds, others likely waking up soon to get ready before trudging off to work.

They came across at a crossroads, Sakura due to head west, Rin east. She looked over at the brunette, biting her lip.

"Rin…I'm sorry."

Rin blinked her wide eyes in surprise as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "For what?"

Sakura sighed and dropped her gaze to the ground.

"I know you wanted to go on this mission with Kakashi. And you would be if I was a proper shinobi."

Guilt twisted her insides. She was a proper shinobi. That's why this situation was even worse than what it appeared to be on the outside.

"It's fine, honestly. You'll be much safer with Kakashi, and you already know him. It would be an uneasy situation for you if you were placed with strangers. I've worked with Hideki and Masato before, so it won't be as awkward for me as it would be for you."

Sakura lifted her eyes up to meet Rin's.

"And I know Kakashi has feelings for you, it might give him a chance to express them."

Sakura's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and absolute horror. Had she actually heard those words fall from Rin's lips?

"W-what? I don't know what you're talking abo-"

"I can see it, in the way he looks at you." Rin continued, interrupting Sakura. "In all the years I've known him, he has never looked at me like that."

Rendered momentarily speechless, Sakura could only shake her head furiously in response to the statement, an unbelieving expression appearing on her face. There was no way. He was suspicious of her, not falling for her. All she'd been able to detect in that lone obsidian eye was apprehension and curiosity. There had been nothing that insinuated any kind of romantic feelings.

Her heart fluttered with hope at Rin's words, her brain ignorant with denial.

"He doesn't like me, you've got it all wrong." Sakura finally managed, her voice soft.

Rin's lips quirked into a half-smile, one that seemed mildly amused.

"Kakashi won't ever just straight out admit it, he's not that kind of guy. Just trust me when I say that I can tell. And I'm giving you my blessing. He needs a nice girl who will treat him right, and you're the nicest girl I know."

Sakura shook her head again.

"He's yours."

Now Rin chuckled, and Sakura could detect the underlying tone of bitterness, although she knew it was not aimed at her directly.

"He's never been mine. And I doubt he ever will be."

Sakura frowned. "Don't say that."

"He's known about my feelings for well over four years. Possibly even longer. He's had every chance to initiate a romantic relationship with me, but hasn't. I know how he feels about me, I just tried to pretend that it was different. I deluded myself into hoping that maybe one day, he'd see me as I see him. But the longer time goes on, the more I realize that it's not going to happen. And so now I'm giving you the go ahead."

Rin gave Sakura a reassuring smile, but the pinkette's lips were set firmly into a frown.

"I couldn't. Not knowing your feelings. I would never hurt a friend." she explained defiantly.

Rin patted Sakura gently on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about me. I'll get over it eventually. Besides, if I was really that annoyed about it, I wouldn't have said anything."

"But-"

Clapping a hand over Sakura's mouth, causing the pinkette to gasp and step backwards in shock, Rin's smile grew wider.

"No more buts. Just accept what I've told you, and go from there. We can discuss it more when we return home. Oh, and one more thing. I know you're only a civilian, but I thought you should have one of these, just in case."

She reached into her shuriken holster that was wrapped around her leg, pulling out a kunai and placing it into Sakura's hand, who looked down at it in surprise.

"I better head off and meet up with my team, you be careful, alright? I'm looking forward to hearing all about your adventures later." Rin grinned, before spinning around and dashing off towards the east gates before Sakura could say anything in return.

Finding herself alone once more, Sakura could only look down at the kunai Rin had given her, and curled her slender fingers around it, carefully avoiding the sharp edges. Kunai had always been her weapon of choice, the ones she was the most proficient with. Holding one felt natural to her usually, but it had been so long that now she wondered if she could even remember how to use it.

She'd have to keep the kunai on her person, hidden away so that Kakashi was unaware that she had it. Normally, Sakura would hide a kunai in the wrappings around her leg, but as she was posing as a civilian medic, she didn't have those. Then she remembered a secret sleeve in her left boot that had been placed there to hold secret weapons.

Perfect.

Sakura carefully slid the kunai into the secret sleeve, making sure that she didn't hurt herself whilst doing so before she continued on her way to meet Kakashi at the west gates.

As she walked, her head began to ache with the copious amounts thoughts that buzzed through her mind. It was all to much to take in. For a mission, she always had to be clear-headed. Right there and then, she felt the complete opposite.

According to Rin, Kakashi was attracted to Sakura. And not only did he like her, Rin had told her to go for it, given the pinkette her blessing. But she still couldn't, despite her own feelings for the silver-haired ANBU. The situation was messy enough as it was without adding the further complication of feelings and relationships into it. It was forbidden to even consider anything happening between Kakashi and herself.

Even if she really wanted it to.

Sakura finally reached the gates, smirking as she found no sign of Kakashi. So much for his insistence that he was 'always on time'. He was no different to her sensei, even if they actually were the same person.

A cloud of smoke exploded to her right, but Sakura did not flinch, having become accustomed to his preferred method of travelling.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up. I knew you'd be late." she offered lazily, glancing over at Kakashi.

His lone eye narrowed, and Sakura was surprised to find annoyance within it.

"I was here on time, but you were not. So I decided to make sure you had remembered that we would be meeting here this morning." he replied, his usually aloof tone icy.

She frowned. "I saw Rin and we had a quick chat. That's all. I'm not that late, you're just overreacting."

Kakashi continued to glare at her.

"You're a civilian, I have to be cautious." he explained before heading past her to walk through the gates.

"Just stay next to me and if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, tell me."

Sakura crossed her arms and knitted her slender pink eyebrows at his retreating back in annoyance. He was treating her like a child. And Rin wanted her to have a romantic relationship with this guy? That was definitely not going to happen.

She let out a sigh before running after Kakashi, slowing to his pace once she had caught up and was alongside him.

They walked in silence, neither looking at the other. Kakashi kept his eye ahead, Sakura's gaze focused on the ground. She could feel the unspoken tension in the air, and knew without a doubt that he did too. She found herself nervous, unsure of what to say to him. Which she found idiotic, not to mention pathetic.

"How long do you think it will take us to get to Takumi Village?" she managed to inquire after a while, feeling the need for a break from the quietness, a distraction in the form of casual conversation.

"Most likely about three days." he replied curtly.

"Really? It usually takes about three days to get to Suna, and that's even further." she spoke back, not realizing that Kakashi had turned to her and was looking down at her questionably.

"For a shinobi, yes. For a civilian like yourself, it would take closer to a week." he answered slowly, skepticism rising in his voice.

Sakura winced inwardly at her slip-up. They'd only been walking for about an hour and she'd already managed to say something that of course would catch his suspicion.

"We used to have shinobi come through the village, they'd always be discussing where they were headed, how long it would take to get there." she attempted to cover up her mistake, hoping he would buy it.

Whatever Kakashi thought of her explanation, he didn't voice it, giving her one last look before returning his gaze forward. Sakura bit her lip again with anxiety. She really had to be careful about what she said to him.

Or just say nothing at all.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the sky began to darken as the sun descended towards the horizon. The whole day had been utterly tedious, with only very few words spoken between the pair, usually only that of Kakashi asking Sakura how she was feeling and if she wanted to rest.

She'd only replied in one worded sentences, just a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Any attempt to strike a conversation with her companion could end in her admitting something and everything going horribly wrong, so she avoided it. Luckily, it seemed Kakashi had as well, he hadn't many any kind of attempt to engage in banter with her.

It had been strange for her, usually when they travelled on a mission, Kakashi would fall silent but also have a book in front of his face, with either an orange or green cover, depending on his mood. This time, there had been no book that acted as a barrier between them.

Without a distraction, Sakura's mind had been running rampant. She'd had several conscious daydreams of pushing Kakashi off the road, succumbing to her unwanted desires and having her way with him. Of course, the rational side had kicked in, listing the reasons why such an event occurring should not happen. Then another small voice came in from nowhere, wondering 'what if?'.

She tried to keep her face as impassive and blank as possible, so that Kakashi would not sense the inner turmoil she was experiencing. She was aware that he was perceptive, annoying so, even without the Sharingan which remained hidden from sight behind his hitai-ate.

He didn't seem to notice, so Sakura concluded that she was a doing a good job. She tried to clear her mind countless times, but the thoughts and wonderings came crawling back into her mind over and over again. She couldn't protest them properly, not when the object of her tumult was walking casually beside her, his hands inside his pockets.

Strangely, it had been comforting to see a sight, a habit which he had seemingly picked up early on in life. Sakura tried to pretend that the Kakashi beside her was the much older incarnation that she was so accustomed to, but it failed miserably.

Instead of seeing him as the perverted and aloof sensei she'd always known, she kept seeing him as the perplexing and frustrating object of her unwanted desires.

"There's a village up ahead. We'll stop there for the night." Kakashi declared, startling Sakura at the sudden sound of his baritone voice.

She nodded in acknowledge of the plans, but remained hushed.

A few minutes later, a small village appeared in the distance, and Sakura couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, she would be able to get away from Kakashi and be alone in her own room. There, she could try and sort out her thoughts and feelings and make some kind of sense of them both.

The village was quite small, with one long dusty road through it, a few shops and stalls on either side. On the left was an inn, obviously where they would stay the night. Sakura wondered why they didn't simply make camp, as that would have been easier and less money spent, but wouldn't complain. She needed a good shower and some proper sleep for the journey the next day.

As they moved inside the building, Kakashi headed up to the inn's owner, who was sitting behind a small desk that was littered with numerous papers. Sakura did not follow, choosing instead to look around at the walls, which were plastered with old photos, obviously of the town over the years. It didn't appear to have changed in the slightest.

Kakashi moved over to her, indicating for Sakura to follow him with a simply gesture of his hand. She complied, hoping that the room was somehow decent, although she knew not to get her hopes up.

"Here's our room." Kakashi announced, as they paused in front of a door with a large brass 'six' nailed into it.

"…wait, what do you mean by _our_ room?" Sakura protested, hoping that there had just been an error in Kakashi's statement.

"This is where we will be sleeping tonight." he replied simply, placing the key in the lock before turning the handle and opening the door.

The room had a slightly musky scent, that of dust and dampness, but it wasn't too unbearable. The floor was wooden, as were the walls and ceiling. There was only a single bed, covered in olive green sheets that matched the curtains hanging over the lone window in the middle of the wall directly opposite the door, a bedside table and a small dresser. All the furniture looked worn, and the room had the general effect of age.

"What? I thought we would have our own rooms!" Sakura exclaimed in dread as Kakashi moved into the room, placing his bag down on the floor. She stood defiantly in the doorway, looking at him for an answer.

"It's cheaper to just share a room, and the innkeeper didn't have one available with two beds. I'm fine with sleeping on the floor." he explained with a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders.

Sakura was horrified. She'd been under the assumption that she would finally have a break from Kakashi, a chance to sort herself out. Instead, she would be stuck with him in a tiny room.

Tentatively, she stepped into the room, unclasping her bag and placing it on the bed. She stretched out her arms, grimacing at the knot that had formed in the muscle that lay in the middle of her shoulder blades.

"Are you alright?"

She turned to Kakashi, who was sitting up against the wall, peering at her curiously over the mission scroll he had been reading.

"I'm fine." she lied, frustrated that the knot had developed in the one spot her arms just couldn't seem to reach.

Whenever something like this occurred, she'd go to Shizune or Ino for a massage that would help release the tension. Naruto had offered countless times, but there was no way she'd trust him with such a thing. Even Sai had offered, but Sakura had found the possibility somewhat creepy. Shizune and Ino were medics like herself, and knew what to do.

What she wouldn't do to have either one of them there with her.

"You're not fine, an idiot could see that."

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall as he got to his feet, the mission scroll already scrolled up and tucked away.

"Now tell me, what's wrong?"

Sakura groaned. "I have a knot in my upper back, one that I can't reach."

"Take your top off and I'll massage it for you."

The pinkette's jaw dropped.

"What did you just say?!"

Kakashi sighed and rolled his eyes at the look of pure mortification on Sakura's face, which was quickly heating up and turning a peculiar shade of red.

"If you have a knot, I'll massage it out for you. It will make the trip easier for you, and therefore myself. And it will be more effective if your dress is not in the way."

Sakura stood in stunned silence. Whilst what Kakashi had said made sense, there was no way she was going to do anything that required removing her clothes around him.

"The quicker we do this, the sooner we can get food for dinner and then sleep. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning." Kakashi added, looking impatient.

"But…this is…I…" Sakura trailed off, realizing that she just needed to toughen up and go along with it. It wasn't insinuating anything between them, it was just that she needed a massage and he was offering to give her one.

Giving in, she headed into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her. After a few moments to gather her thoughts, she stripped off her dress, followed by her bra. As a younger girl, she'd always worn wrappings, her breasts too small for any kind of proper lingerie. As her chest had swelled in her later teenage years, she'd moved to bras, finding them more comfortable and definitely more appealing.

Now Sakura stood topless in the bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Had she changed at all since being in the past? Would anyone else notice when she returned home? Her face looked the same, as did her body. Her pink locks were slightly longer, but that could easily be fixed by a trim. No, it seemed any of the changes she had experienced were internal.

No-one would know of her trip fourteen years into the past. She would make sure of it.

She grabbed a nearby towel, grateful to find that it had been recently laundered, and wrapped it around her bare torso, making sure that no part of her breasts were visible. Taking in a deep breath, she left the bathroom and moved back into the room, watching Kakashi with curious eyes as he saw her.

There was a flash of something in his visible eye, but it was gone before she could recognize it.

"Sit on the floor, in front of the bed." Kakashi practically ordered, making Sakura glare at him before she complied, brushing her long petal tresses over her right shoulder so that her back was bare.

Once seated, he moved to the bed and sat on the edge of it, directly behind her. After what seemed to be a moment of hesitation, his cool hands pressed against her back, directly in the spot where the knot was located.

How had he even known where it was?

Sakura turned her head to the side to try and look up at him, surprised as she saw his Sharingan uncovered and looking directly at her back.

She moved her gaze back to the floor before closing her eyes, enjoying the firm press of Kakashi's fingers as they kneaded against the knotted muscle. She knew that the Sharingan could see a person's chakra flow, but nothing like this. Perhaps her chakra was being altered by the muscle?

Sakura scolded herself for not knowing such a thing, especially as she was a medic.

She mentally noted to ask him about it later.

Unable to help herself, she let out a small groan of pleasure as Kakashi's finger pressed against the muscle, hitting what seemed to be the 'right spot' momentarily. Flushing immediately with embarrassment, she clapped a hand over her mouth and noticed that Kakashi had paused in his movements.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice near her left ear, causing a shiver to shoot down her spine.

"I'm fine, you just got the spot, that's all." Sakura managed to reply, noticing that her breathing was becoming more rapid, almost to the point of panting.

She could feel the warmth that radiated from Kakashi's body, he had leaned forward to practically whisper in her ear. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but he was slowly causing a tingling sensation to occur in her groin. One she had never felt before.

It frightened her, that he was having such an effect on her body, that just merely being close to him could cause so many new and frightening sensations. But before she could worry about it any longer, he moved away and continued with the massage, leaving Sakura to freak out inwardly as she tried not to think about how good his fingers felt against her flesh, and how she wanted them to explore other, more intimate parts of her body.

"There you go." Kakashi announced, removing his hands from her back.

Sakura instantly found herself missing the cool touch of his fingertips against her skin, but tried not to dwell on those thoughts.

"Thanks." she expressed her gratitude, holding firmly on to the towel and getting to her feet. Once she was standing, she turned to look at Kakashi, only to meet the sight of an empty bed and the bathroom door closing.

Gasping, she realised her clothes were still in there.

Hurrying over to the door, she rapped loudly on it with her knuckles.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Shower." came the curt reply.

"My-my clothes are…" Sakura began to stammer when the door suddenly opened slightly, a hand thrust out holding two garments, a crimson dress and a black bra.

Instantly she grabbed them, the hand pulling back into the room and the door slammed shut, followed seconds later by the sound of water running.

Sakura was embarrassed and furious at the same time. Kakashi had clearly seen her lingerie, and also gone and taken the first shower, the one that she had claimed, albeit in her mind. Seeing no point in redressing herself as she was planning on having a shower after him, she thrust the clothes into her bag, pulling out a pair of patterned shorts and a loose t-shirt that she slept in, and sat on the bed.

Folding her arms in annoyance, she waited.

And waited.

Did Kakashi always take such long showers?

Finally the water turned off, and a few minutes later the silver-haired Jōnin re-emerged, dressed in the sleeveless navy shirt that clung to his torso and was attached to the infernal mask that covered his face and baggy pants that were the same colour. A white towel was hung around his shoulders, his hair damp and hanging loosely around his face, of which Sakura could see being slightly red in colour, most likely from the hot water and steam.

"Sorry, I wasn't aware you wanted a shower." he said sheepishly, causing Sakura's features to darken with annoyance.

"Isn't it common courtesy to let a woman go first? Chivalry must be something you're not quite accustomed to." she quipped before turning away from his gaze and into the bathroom.

After an awful shower where the hot water had disappeared only minutes after she had stepped into it, Sakura entered the bedroom with half a mind to beat Kakashi into a pulp. At first she'd considered apologising for her comments beforehand, but that had been thrown out the window when the freezing cold water had hit her scalp, halfway through a shampoo.

The light had been turned off, and Sakura could see a sleeping bag on the floor that was in the shape of a person. Realizing that Kakashi must have gone to sleep whilst she was showering, she turned off the bathroom light and stepped into the room quietly, finding the bed easily in the darkness, much to her relief.

She quickly made her way into the bed, laying her head on the pillow and pulling the sheets over her petite body, making sure to face away from where Kakashi slept on the floor.

Tiredness was beginning to kick in, but before she could welcome slumber with open arms, Sakura thought about everything that had transpired over the past twenty-four hours.

She had been assigned a mission with the one person she could not afford to be around in case she accidentally revealed something that she was not allowed to, then told by her closest friend in this time to pursue a relationship with the one person said friend had been in love with for years.

That one person who infuriated her one minute, captivated her curiosity the next, and then made her feel things that a sensible girl like herself should not experience.

He drove her crazy, in more ways than one.

Sakura had always believed she knew Kakashi well, however this situation had proved her to be dead wrong.

The more she thought she was learning and discovering about him, the more he continued to baffle and irritate her.

Rin had been mistaken. Incredibly so. There was absolutely no way that Kakashi held any kind of romantic feelings for her. And there was no reason for why she had feelings for him. The sooner she forgot about them, the better things would be, not just for herself, but for everyone.

It had been a strange day. A bewildering day. An exasperating day.

Sakura knew it was only going to get worse tomorrow.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ When I start a story, I write down the general basic plot. Then I break the plot down into chapter summaries, and build on from there. This is what I had written down for this chapter - '11 - leave for mission, saku attempting to hide her ninja skills, make camp, blah'. I somehow made this into a 5,654 word chapter. Aw yeah. _

_**2.**__ Yeah, originally they were supposed to camp instead of going to an inn. But the idea of sticking them in a one-bed room together was too good to pass up. And here we are._

_**3.**__ This is actually the first half of a chapter that I decided to split into two. So chapter twelve will be the second half of what this chapter (eleven) was supposed to be. I thought stretching it out might be better, that way I can sneak in more conversations and awkward moments. Did I mention that I freaking love this story?_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	12. Chapter 12

_Let me start off by first saying how incredibly sorry I am for such a late update._

_Real life pretty much just gave me a giant kick up the ass, had some personal issues going on and a lot of stress. I'm starting to get myself sorted out again, but it took me a while to get my inspiration back to write this chapter. I just hope none of you think I was abandoning this story, because that will never, ever happen. The support you have all given me is phenomenal, and once again, I thank you._

_In response to a comment left by joys on the last chapter, I spell colour like so because I'm Australian and therefore was taught how to write the English way - Americans omit the 'u' in a lot of words, such as humor (humour) and favorite (favourite). My spelling isn't incorrect, it just differs from the way you were most likely taught. And I'm not having a go and saying that Americans misspell, so please don't think that. Just trying to clear that up._

_Keep those follows, favourites and reviews coming! They help me in so many ways and I always love to hear your thoughts on each chapter as the story progresses. It lets me know that I'm doing a good job (thus far) and that you guys are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Which I do. A lot. Even when I have a case of writer's block._

_And please, check out my Tumblr! I'll try and update there more often about what's happening with me and my stories, the link is on my profile._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sakura couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so badly.

Woken up by an already dressed and prepared Kakashi at the crack of dawn, Sakura had begrudgingly dragged herself out of bed. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, she looked just as awful as she felt. There was no time for a proper clean, only a chance to wash her face, brush her hair, get herself dressed and packed so they could leave.

They had a large breakfast to make up for the lack of dinner the evening before, the scenario playing over and over again in Sakura's mind. In all the awkwardness and tension, they'd forgotten to eat. It was rather idiotic of both of them, rest alone couldn't fully replenish someone's chakra. Sustenance was incredibly important. Instead they both filled themselves up as much as they could before continuing on their way.

Sakura was already in a bad mood that morning from her lack of proper sleep. She guessed that Kakashi could tell, as he was consciously keeping away from her, and saying nothing that could make it worse. Except, his constant quietness just caused the pinkette to become further irritated. Some kind of social interaction was needed for her to get through the day.

"Have you got an issue with me?" she finally spoke up around late morning, glancing over at her masked companion.

He kept his eyes forward. "No." he answered curtly.

She frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Then why have you said barely two words to me today?"

Now Kakashi looked over to her, his sole eye meeting her viridian ones which were full of curiosity.

"I haven't had anything to talk to you about."

Sakura couldn't help but pout at him, finding his lame excuse incredibly pathetic. Whenever they had run into each other before, there had been at least a few sentences exchanged. And the night when she had run into Sasuke and his family, Kakashi had opened up to her. Since then, it seemed like getting two words out of him was an effort and a half.

And Sakura was exhausted.

"I recall you saying that you wanted to 'figure me out'. This is your chance to get to know me." she exclaimed, turning her eyes away from his form.

Yesterday, she'd maintained her silence in fear that her words would arouse his suspicion further, that she would accidentally let something slip about her true identity. But the quietness was beginning to bother her, incredibly so. She needed some kind of distraction to get through this mission, not only from her boredom but also from her wandering, lustful thoughts about the man walking beside her.

"What are your parents like?"

The question came swiftly, surprising Sakura with it's content. She'd been expecting a simple inquiry, such as her favourite colours or foods, or simple silence. Still, she would indulge him with the truth, at least, as much as she could without giving too much information away.

"They're good people. I mean, really good people. Simple and content with their lives. They run a small jewellery stall together, nothing extravagant, and yet they're so happy. My mother can be a bit stern sometimes, but so can most. And my father loves puns, especially terrible ones. They love each other so much, even after all the years they've been together. Sometimes I wonder if I even deserve to be their daughter, and then I realize just how lucky I am." she answered, ignoring the fact that speaking about her mother and father made her miss them intensely at that moment.

"I thought one of your parents was a medic?"

Sakura froze momentarily, shaking it off before Kakashi noticed.

"My grandmother is the chief medic of the entire village. She's the one who taught me." came the quick lie to cover her mistake.

"What kind of woman is she?"

Sakura bit her lip. Both of her grandmothers had died when she was young, she hadn't had much of a chance to know them. Instead, she improvised.

"Bossy. No matter what the circumstance, she usually projects a tough demeanour, and her temper is quick and monstrous. She also likes criticising others, even when she has her own flaws. She also has a serious gambling problem and a not-so-secret addiction to sake."

Kakashi paused in his steps and looked at Sakura, and she could see bewilderment in his visible features. She simply smiled sweetly at him before continuing.

"She's got a heart of gold though, and is by far the most caring woman I know. She always puts others before herself, and her first priority is always making sure that everyone is happy and well."

"She sounds like a remarkable woman." the silver-haired Jōnin continued as he continued on once more, Sakura following.

"She is." the pinkette agreed, finding herself wondering just how her mentor was doing, if she knew Sakura had disappeared at all, and if so, what she was doing about it.

"What about your parents?" she inquired, looking over at Kakashi, who did not return the gesture.

"As I recall, this was all about getting to know you, not me." he replied smoothly.

"I figured it could be a back and forth, you ask something about me, then it's my turn to ask something about you." Sakura protested, crossing her arms once more.

"Maybe another day."

Damn. She'd been so excited at the prospect of finally learning about Kakashi, only to be shot down. Sakura knew he was an incredibly private person, but he'd shared personal stories with her before and she wanted to hear more. Unfortunately for her, that didn't seem like it would happen anytime soon.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Now that query caught Sakura off-guard. She threw a shocked look in Kakashi's direction, but he didn't seem to notice, choosing instead to continue strolling along the road casually.

"Yes." she admitted, her eyes trailing to the ground.

She'd promised to herself that she would be honest with Kakashi, save for any minor details that could shine light on her true situation. It was an odd question and one she'd never thought would fall from Kakashi's masked lips. She remembered when Rin had asked her the same thing, and then gone on to proclaim her love for her team-mate, who Sakura knew now to be the same silver-haired man.

"Who was he?" came his next inquiry.

"I'd known him since we were children, always admired him from afar. He was so quiet, almost broody. He'd lost his family at a young age, and you could tell that he was broken. I always thought I could be the one to fix him, but then again, so did every other girl my age. It was just a crush at first, but as we grew older and I got to know him a little better, it blossomed into love. He never reciprocated my feelings, but I always thought that there was something there, that he wasn't allowing himself to give in and be happy."

"What happened?"

Sakura's mind was flooded by memories of bloody crimson eyes, eyes that showed no sign of the boy she had once loved, the boy she had cried over every night for years.

"He tried to kill me." she murmured, her voice low.

Kakashi stopped abruptly, turning to stand directly in front of Sakura and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"He tried to kill you?" he repeated incredulously.

Well, technically she had tried to kill him first.

The difference was that it had been her mission, that it would help not only her village but also her friends, give both herself and Naruto a chance to move on.

The difference was that where she couldn't bring herself to do so, whereas he seemed only happy to take away her life, for no other reason except that he simply could.

"I was saved before he could do anything, and I haven't seen him since." Sakura added quickly, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Kakashi had been the one to save her the first time she'd tried to strike Sasuke, coming out of nowhere to scoop her into his arms and out of harms way. She couldn't remember if she'd ever actually thanked him for that. That day had been emotionally exhausting, and one she'd desperately tried to block from her memories on many occasions, always to no avail.

The silver-haired Jōnin dropped his hands back to his sides, Sakura taking this opportunity to resume walking. She heard as he came up alongside her, wondering what his next question would be.

However, it never came. Kakashi had returned to his silence, leaving Sakura with her overwhelming floods of thoughts that continued to pour into her already exhausted mind.

* * *

A few hours later they came across a teahouse, the perfect place for a well-needed break and rest. Sakura's belly was rumbling with hunger, she needed some kind of sustenance before she continued travelling. Kakashi however seemed indifferent, and she could tell that he just wanted to keep going and get to their destination as soon as possible.

Surely half an hour wouldn't hurt.

The entered the teahouse, Kakashi moving to sit at one of the tables by the window, Sakura sitting up at the counter. A friendly elderly woman came to take her order, which was a cup of sakurayu and small plate of wagashi, her favourites. She heard Kakashi order from behind her, but couldn't hear his exact words.

She felt drained, not only from the constant walking which was a great deal slower and more tedious then her usual travelling by tree tops, but also by the tensions between her and her silver-haired companion. Since speaking about Sasuke, Kakashi hadn't said another word to her, and she couldn't fathom why.

Admittedly, Sakura shouldn't have told him that Sasuke had attempted to kill her. It wasn't something one would discuss in usual conversation. But he'd asked, and she'd answered truthfully. There was just something about Kakashi that made the pinkette want him to know everything possible about her. Of course, that was impossible, not to mention forbidden.

"Hey there doll."

Sakura turned her head to see two guys leaning against the counter beside her, one of either side. They looked to be about her age, with giant grins and perfectly styled hair. The one on her left, who had spoken first, had sandy-blonde locks that reached just below his ears, his companion with dark brown hair that was almost black and cut very short atop his head.

"Can I help you?" she asked them as the waitress served up her tea and sweets.

"Just wondering if you've got a name that's as pretty as you." came the reply from her left once more.

Sakura spun around to see if Kakashi was taking any notice of the two boys who were clearly making moves on her, but he didn't seem to even be aware of her predicament. His masked nose was currently buried in a newspaper, causing Sakura to narrow her eyes at him despite the fact that he couldn't actually see this gesture.

Irritated, the pinkette decided that it was time to teach the Jōnin a lesson.

She turned back to the boys, smiling her sweetest at each of them. "My name is Sakura, you know, like the cherry blossoms? My mother always said it was because of the colour of my hair."

Inwardly, she was beginning to hate herself for saying such things. It was almost like the kind of garbage she'd spurted at Sasuke during those early years.

The boy on the right's eyes widened. "That's your natural colour?"

Sakura giggled and winked at him. "You betcha!"

The two boys disappeared from either side of her, Sakura thankful for their absences. She sipped on her tea calmly and nibbled on the wagashi when suddenly her ears picked up a hushed conversation that she was pretty certain she shouldn't have heard.

"_I wonder if the carpet matches the drapes_."

Her cheeks flushed, both with embarrassment and fury.

She said nothing and continued to drink her tea.

"_I call dibs._"

"_You called dibs on the last decent looking girl who breezed through here! It's been months for me man, come on!_"

"_This girl is one of a kind. When have you ever seen such a girl with such pink hair before? Better luck next time_."

The hushed words stopped, and Sakura heard footsteps rapidly approaching her from behind.

However, before either of the boys could approach her, Kakashi appeared next to her, leaning against the counter. He was incredibly close to her, his leg brushing up against her bent knee as she froze on the stool.

"I think it's best that we leave." he told her, his voice low, sending those unwanted shivers down her spine.

She nodded in compliance, making her way off the chair and then to the door, but found herself blocked off by the blonde boy.

"Where are you going doll? I haven't even had a chance to tell you my name!"

Before Sakura could reply, Kakashi stood in front of her, a good foot taller than the blonde, who backed away slightly. He said nothing, choosing to make his point by just glaring down at the guy with his one obsidian orb before suddenly grabbing Sakura's hand tightly and leading her out of the teahouse.

It was a good few miles before he finally released his tight grasp around her hand, pausing to look at her with such intense frustration in his visible features.

"We are on a mission, Sakura. We don't have time for you to flirt with strangers." he scolded her, causing her to narrow her own green orbs at him.

"It was harmless! Nothing was going to happen anyway, and it was a nice chance from your constant moodiness!" she bit back at him, her voice rising in anger.

"I'm not the moody one!" he argued, moving to stand directly in front of her.

"Oh yes you are! One minute you're not even speaking to me, the next you're pulling me out of a teahouse as if I'm a child!"

"You were acting like one, I thought it appropriate!"

"What are you, my father?"

The more heated words they flung at one another, the closer they became, Sakura could almost feel Kakashi's chest pressing up against her own. His gaze was so intensely focused on her own, and for a moment she couldn't read just what lay behind the obsidian depths of his visible eye. It appeared to be a plethora of emotions, each one flashing for a miniscule second before she had a chance to figure out what it was.

He was so close to her now, all he had to do was lean his head down slightly, and his lips would meet hers. Not that she wanted that to happen, she was too furious with him at that moment and kisses would not help in that situation. Although she could feel herself craving it, to the point where she found herself about to pull his head down so their lips could crush against each other.

That's when she sensed that they were not alone.

Sakura turned her head to glance at their surroundings, Kakashi mirroring her at the exact same time.

There were at least thirty chakra signatures surrounding them, and closing it in a quick pace.

"Ambush." Kakashi muttered under his breath.

They'd gotten so carried away with their pathetic argument that neither had sensed the oncoming attack. Sakura cursed at herself inwardly, usually she'd never let herself become so distracted that she would fail to notice an ambush. Also that fact that they had been yelling at one another at the tops of their lungs most likely did not help.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura crouched slightly, preparing herself for the oncoming attack out of habit. However, she was taken off guard when Kakashi suddenly looped an arm around her waist and jumped up into a nearby tree, travelling from branch to branch at such a speed that Sakura couldn't see properly, her surroundings blurred before her eyes.

A few moments later they landed on the ground once more, Kakashi setting the pinkette on her feet before pushing her up against the base of a large tree.

"Stay here. Don't make any kind of noise." he told her, staring down at her with such intensity in his sole obsidian eye.

"But surely I can help? There's too many of them!" Sakura protested.

He quirked an eyebrow up at her, but didn't address her last comment.

"You're just a simple civilian. Just leave it to me."

"Kaka-" she pushed back, but his gloved hand appeared over her mouth, breaking off her words.

"I'll come back for you."

Kakashi's eye crinkled with what she knew was supposed to be a reassuring smile behind the dark material that hid his face, but she didn't feel so reassured. He stepped back and performed hand seals, ones she recognized to be for gen-jutsu. He was effectively hiding her in plain sight.

Once the gen-jutsu was complete, Sakura watched helplessly as Kakashi disappeared from view, jumping up high into the tree tops. Seconds later came the clanging sounds of kunai striking against one another, words of attack cried with unfamiliar voices laced with malice and cries of anguish from those who were meeting their ends at the hands of one silver-haired Jōnin.

Sakura's faith in Kakashi had never wavered, she'd seen him in battle countless times and even after years of knowing him, still found his abilities and skills to be beyond impressive. But this incarnation was much younger, he was missing fourteen years of progression and training.

All she could do was wait patiently and hope that he would be okay.

"What's this?"

Sakura froze at the voice as it steadily approached her, two men coming into her view, one quite tall and lanky, with dark purple tufts of hair on either side of his head, the other shorter and much more bulky, with no hair at all save for a thick beard of bright red. Neither wore any kind of symbol of a village, obviously rouge-nins, much to her dismay. They obviously couldn't see her, but it was evident that they had realized that something was amiss.

"Gen-jutsu." the shorter one sneered, looking around. "Wonder what he's got to hide?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" his companion sniggered, raising a hand before him.

"Kai."

Feeling the gen-jutsu dissipate around her, Sakura once again crouched down low. There was no way she could stay put and just let herself meet an early end, and she would try her best not to engage in battle. The two men suddenly noticed her, their eyes gleaming with bad intentions, the identical smirks on their faces making her skin crawl.

"Well look what we have here, Ijiwaru." leered the taller man, glancing over at his friend before his eyes returned to Sakura.

"What a little beauty." replied the man named Ijiwaru, who cocked his head to the side as he observed her. "Got a name, pretty thing?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at him.

"Even if I do, I'm not telling you." she spat at him.

Ijiwaru chuckled heartily. "She's a fiery one. I bet the boss would love to meet you. What do you think, Akui?"

The taller man grinned, his mouth full of yellowing and broken teeth that made Sakura feel slightly ill.

"Grab her."

_"You are not to engage in any kind of fighting whatsoever, unless it means the difference between life and death."_

Well, it didn't seem as if they were going to kill her, and Sakura couldn't risk any more of them noticing her fighting and coming after her. So her only choice was to run.

As Ijiwaru lunged at her, the pinkette ducked quickly and rolled under his outstretched arms. Once back on her feet, she sprinted as fast as she could, in no particular direction. In her rush, her sensing of others had dropped, and before she knew it, she'd run straight into the main battle area.

Bodies littered the ground, blood gushing from most of them, lifeless eyes staring blankly up at the sky. In the near distance, Sakura could see Kakashi still fighting, currently against a very large, burly man. He didn't seem to notice her presence thankfully, too immersed with dodging the fists that kept flying in his direction.

"Gotcha!"

Thick, muscled arms wrapped themselves around her, trapping her arms and holding tightly. She tried to get out of Ijiwaru's hold, but to no avail. His pungent stench assaulted her nostrils, causing bile to rise in her throat as she continued to squirm, kicking her legs back in an attempt to knock his legs.

"She's a fighter." Ijiware remarked as Akui appeared beside him.

"Let's get her back to the hideout." the lanky ninja replied, looking over to where Kakashi and the burly man were now dodging each other's elemental attacks.

"Better wrap it up soon, Hiretsu!" he called out, causing both men to turn at the sound of his voice.

Sakura's eyes met with Kakashi's lone one, which widened in what she knew was a mixture of surprise and panic. She was stunned to see that his hitai-ate had not been lifted to reveal his Sharingan, which was usually his aid in battles like this, but there was no time for her to question him about it.

_**"Sakura!"**_

He went to run to her, to save her, when his opponent used the distraction to attack, slashing Kakashi's back deeply with his kunai, causing the silver-haired ANBU to scream out in agonising pain before he fell to the ground. The man named Hiretsu looked at the fallen man with a gleeful grin, before turning his eyes on the captured Sakura.

The pinkette's eyes widened with horror.

**_"KAKASHI!"_**

Suddenly something hard collided with the back of Sakura's neck, and everything went black.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ Oh cliffhangers. How I adore you. I know it's a shorter chapter, but bear with me. This was so difficult for me to write. And thirteen will make up for it, I swear._

_**2**__. I know a lot of you will be wondering why Sakura didn't just lay a well-placed punch in the faces of her enemies. She honestly thought she could get away, but got distracted. Her ninja skills are rusty. Very much so. But the next chapter will be awesome and we will get to see some bad-assery coming from our favourite pinkette._

_**3.**__ I'll try and get the next chapter up on time. I can't promise anything, at the moment all my efforts are currently going to cleaning my house for an upcoming inspection (joy) but I will try to find time._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Hello again!_

_Once again, this update is late. And once again, I am sorry. Thankfully it seems like the house inspection went well, my house looks amazing and there actually appears to be carpet in the bedroom. I was under the assumption the floor was made from discarded clothing, but many loads of washing and vacuuming proved me wrong._

_Love the fact that I'm still getting new readers! Hello there! A big thank you to those who took the time to leave a review, means so much to me. And of course, a big virtual hug to everyone who reviews every chapter, you guys are seriously amazing and sometimes I really don't feel worthy of your praise. As long as you guys enjoy reading, I'll continue to write._

_A few quick warnings before you delve into this newly updated chapter - _

_This chapter has dark underlying tones. They're only very slight and not explored to a great extent. They're just mentioned purely for the fact that the people who captured Sakura in the last chapter are quite malicious and incredibly awful people, for many varying purposes. But it won't have a giant impact on this story, so don't worry too much. I just didn't want you to read the chapter without knowing that there was going to be some confronting situations touched upon. _

_The fight scene also might be a touch gory, there's a bit of blood and other body parts. I mean, she is a ninja, it's bound to happen. This story was rated M for a reason (well, a few reasons, others that we will get to see later in time)._

_I also really hate writing fighting scenes, simply because I have so much difficulty with them and never feel like I've done a good job. But at least I tried. But you have you been warned, so please, no reviews that contain 'your fighting scenes suck balls trololol'. Although I seriously doubt any of you would say something like that, you're much too lovely and I adore you all._

_Next chapter shouldn't take as long to be updated._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sakura was beginning to get really irritated at being knocked out.

As she slowly began to regain her consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the annoying familiar ache that was throbbing dully at the back of her neck. It served as a harsh reminder of how she had arrived fourteen years in the past. Somewhere, in the furthest reaches of her mind, she wondered if perhaps this meant she had returned to her own time.

What greeted her viridian eyes when she opened them however proved that theory incredibly wrong.

Her vision was blurred at first, but the pinkette could slowly see that she was not alone. A group of faces were peering at her intently, each one more grotesque than the previous. Her sight finally cleared, but the faces did not change, in fact, now it was easier to see just how hideous her new companions were. It looked as though most had no idea what a bath nor a shower was, and the putrid stench that began to violate her nostrils only added to the thought.

Instinctively Sakura made a move to get away from the lecherous stares that seemed to penetrate her very being, and with horror she realized that this was impossible - she was bound to the chair she had found herself sitting upon. Each ankle was wrapped to an individual leg of the chair, and her wrists were bound together behind her back. Incredibly cliché, it was obvious that these men had very little imagination when it came to capturing people and bringing them back to - well, wherever they had brought her.

The pinkette had also noticed with absolute mortification that she was less-clothed than she had been when captured. Her feet were bare of her boots, her pale legs free of her tights. Even her dress had been removed, leaving Sakura in barely anything save for her simple black underwear and matching black bra. For a moment, she found herself grateful that she hadn't been wearing any of the number of ridiculous lingerie she owned, pink panties covered in strawberries or with slogans on the backside which said 'kiss kiss'.

Sakura knew that her captors had a reason for undressing her, that they intended to use her for sexual purposes if she complied with their interrogation. Luckily, she was aware that nothing like that had occurred whilst she was passed out - her underwear was still perfectly intact and there was no pain from her groin, as a virgin she knew that her first time would cause a dull ache there afterwards.

Gathering her wits, she observed her surroundings. The room was entirely enclosed, a simple door on the left hand side but no windows. The walls appeared to be made out of rock, carved out to form a room by a justu. Four lit torches provided dim light in the room, which Sakura was thankful for. If the men surrounding her were hideous in such a dark room, she dreaded to think what they looked like in proper illumination.

It was obvious that they were underground, which meant that if she was to fight her way out, she'd have to be careful not to miss her opponents with chakra-filled punches and kicks. If she accidentally hit a wall, there was a good chance of the place collapsing in on itself, leaving her trapped with no way out. And considering how her day had gone so far, that was an ending she did not particularly want.

There were several men in the room, each one watching Sakura with unnerving curiosity. One man stood directly opposite the pinkette, looking down at her with strange orange eyes that were incredibly bloodshot and a smirk which made her insides crawl. Another one paced around her, twirling a strange-looking kunai around his fingers. He wore a black mask that covered his face, save for his dark eyes and thin mouth.

Out of her spectators, there were two faces she recognized but wish she hadn't, those of her original captors, Akui and Ijiwaru. They looked the most enthusiastic out of the group, obviously keen to see what rewards they would receive for bring her back to the others, what misery would unfold for the petal-haired girl.

All instinct told Sakura to get out of there as fast as she could, and dare not look back. That was simple, and obtainable. These rogue-nin had underestimated her, the ropes that bound her to the chair were just plain old weaved rope, and not chakra-binding. They'd seen her as a simple civilian girl who would be helpless and weak against them, and that would ultimately be their downfall.

However, Sakura knew she was still on a mission, and if that meant playing along as the poor helpless victim to get some answers, then that was what she would do.

"Well hello there." the man who stood before her spoke up, bending down to meet her eyes.

Sakura widened her eyes. The fear that she felt at that moment was quite miniscule, but she would act along until the time was right. Using all the skills she had, she made sure that she appeared just as frightened as she knew the group wanted her to be.

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"If you're a good girl, this will be your new home. However, if you're naughty, you might just find yourself a little deeper underground." he replied, smiling as the others gave unsettling chuckles.

"What do you want from me?" Sakura inquired again.

"Well you see my dear, us men have been very starved of any kind of female company for quite some time. And you're just too pretty for any of us to pass up."

Sakura shuddered, the thought of any of these vile men touching her skin making her feel instantly nauseous.

"But that all depends on whether or not you provide us with satisfactory answers to our questions." the man continued, looking up at his friend who wore the strange mask.

"Questions about what?"

He chuckled. "All in good time. Now here's the deal - I will ask you a question, and if the answer I receive is unsatisfactory, you may find yourself a body part short."

The masked man now looked down at the pinkette, his eyes moving from her face to his kunai and back again, making this threat perfectly clear.

Sakura knew she had to work fast. She needed to get out as much information from the man before her as possible before any attempt at cutting off her fingers was made, because once that was done, she'd blow her cover and get herself out of this situation.

"Odoshi loves to dismember, so keep that in mind, uh…"

"Sakura." Ijiwaru offered from behind him.

"Ah, Sakura. Such a pretty name for such a pretty girl."

She gave to response to this, focusing instead on trying to ignore the way he made her skin crawl.

"Do you have a name? It's only fair." the pinkette finally offered, looking as innocent as possible.

"I don't think we've ever captured someone with such manners." he chuckled. "I am Warui. You might need to remember that for later when you're screaming it out loud with pleasure."

As he winked at her with his words, Sakura fought the bile that rose in her throat. The stares, sneers and smell that surrounded her were beginning to become a bit too much to handle.

"Shouldn't we wait for Hiretsu to return?" Akui spoke up, looking around the room.

The name struck Sakura as familiar, her mind racing. She remembered Akui shouting out the name, to a large and burly man who had been fighting a lanky, silver-haired-

_Kakashi._

Worry flooded through Sakura's system, mixed with panic and anxiety. The last image she saw before she was knocked out was the large man slicing through the distracted Kakashi's back with a kunai, the Jōnin falling to the ground with an agonizing scream of pain.

Was he alright? Had the man known as Hiretsu managed to kill him?

Sakura closed her eyes momentarily, taking the time to analyse the situation. Kakashi had been fighting without his Sharingan, something that definitely seemed odd, as it was usually his best weapon for any battle. It couldn't have been a trick however, he'd screamed out her name and the look of horror from his sole widened eye had been enough to convince her that it had truly been him.

It had been her fault. If she'd taken out Ijiwaru and Akui, she would not have been captured and Kakashi would have continued on fighting. Part of her reminded her there was no way he could be dead, after all, she knew him in her own time. However, she was also painfully aware that her trip into the past could have dire consequences, that she could unintentionally influence certain occurrences that could have drastically altered outcomes. What if her presence led to Kakashi dying at an early age?

Warui seemed to sense the anguish that showed on Sakura's face, and grinned.

"Probably taking his time with that silver-haired brat. He always likes to play with his toys after he's killed him." he told Akui, who nodded in understanding.

Sakura's stomach churned again. This just proved what kind of disgusting shinobi these people were, and made her even more determined to make sure that they met their ends at her hands. She loathed knowing that people like this existed in the world she had tried to hard to protect, over and over again.

"That's horrible." she managed to utter.

"If you're not careful girl, you might end up the same way as your friend." Warui warned her, Odoshi moving closer to her and holding the kunai before her eyes.

Sakura bit her tongue and said nothing more, the masked man eventually backing off again.

"Speaking of which, we wanted to ask you about him. How do you know him?"

"We came across one another yesterday. We found out we were going to the same place and decided to travel together, so he could protect me on my journey." Sakura lied.

"You looked a little more than strangers to me." Akui muttered, scoffing.

Warui ignored him and continued. "And where were you headed?"

"Takumi Village." Sakura replied, using the truth as a way of finding out more for herself.

Her answer certainly had a reaction, the group of rogue-nins raising their eyebrows.

"Any why were you heading there?" Warui pressed, his face void of any kind of emotion that would give something away.

"To visit friends and family. It's my nephew's sixth birthday tomorrow."

Sakura knew this was a blatant lie, but her companions did not. She was hoping it would stir up some kind of interest, and perhaps Warui would taunt her with the information she was so desperately needing. Luckily, he did just that.

"I'm sorry to say, your nephew is not at home."

"What do you mean?" the pinkette inquired, cocking her head slightly to the side.

"You see, none of the children in Takumi Village are home." Warui replied, a glint in his strange coloured eyes.

"Then where are they?"

Warui gave a hearty laugh. "As you're a civilian and obviously no threat, I can tell you that your nephew is currently locked up with all the other children from the village, waiting to be shipped off to new homes. Perhaps if you are a good girl Sakura, we may allow you to see him before he leaves."

There it was. She couldn't believe just how easily he fell for the bait, it seemed that this man were incredibly simple after all, and not the best interrogator. Instantly she closed her eyes and tried to sense the children, which was obviously hard as they were not full of chakra. Still, she could sense a large number of dim energies somewhere nearby, obviously those of the captured youth.

Her viridian eyes flew open.

_Bingo._

Now that she had her information and had somewhat located the children, it was time for the second part of her plan.

"What you should know, Warui, is that I'm not a good girl. And there's just one fatal mistake you've made." she replied, her voice low.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Warui sneered, standing up as he leered down at her.

Sakura looked up at him, smirking.

"I'm not a civilian either."

As Warui began to absorb this information and his orange eyes widened slowly, Sakura took action. Forming two chakra scalpels in her hands, she quickly cut the binds around her wrists. Leaning forward, she sliced the rope from her ankles, using the movement to roll on the floor between Warui's legs. She then got to her feet, standing behind him, and plunged one of the chakra scalpels through his back, knowing it would penetrate through his heart.

It all occurred within a matter of a seconds, one minute she was bound to the chair, the next she was standing behind Warui as the scalpel burst through his chest, spraying some of the men in the room with his blood before his body crumbled to the floor, unmoving.

There was silence, each of the men taking the time to piece together what had just happened in their minds before the realization hit them and they all ran towards Sakura, fists and kunai pointed in her direction. The crowded around her, reaching in to hurt the pinkette as she dropped to one knee, holding both her chakra scalpels out as she spun herself around in a circle, nicking kneecaps and thighs, blood and cartilage flying out in all different directions as most of the men fell to the ground, crying out in pain as they clutched their seeping limbs.

Those who were lucky enough to escape the scalpels were smart enough to hold back. Five men were rolling around on the floor, three had their backs pressed up against the room's walls, weapons held before them, awaiting the pinkette to make the first move. Akui and Odoshi were among them, whilst Ijiwaru was howling in pain as he held onto his gushing knee in agony. She would leave them until last, turning her attention on a man to her right, with long sandy-blonde hair that was mattered and in dire need of a wash and cut.

Sakura said nothing, disabling her chakra scalpels as she bent down and picked up a discarded kunai. Having not overly used her chakra for quite some time save for medical purposes, the pinkette was aware that her control over it was not as proficient as it had been three months earlier.

Running over to the sandy-haired man, making sure not to trip over fallen body parts, she ducked under his fist that was launched at her, causing him to stumble forwards ever so slightly. She took this opportunity to swing a leg out underneath the man, causing him to trip and land face-down on the ground. Sakura moved behind him, grabbing his hair with one hand as she lifted up his head and swiftly moved the kunai across his throat.

More blood gushed to the floor with her action, causing the pinkette to wince slightly. She knew that being a shinobi meant that she was to take the lives of her enemy, that blood was a great part of her chosen career path, both as a kunoichi and medic-nin, but it didn't mean that she overly enjoyed it. If anyone were to see her now, they would think her monstrous, and she had no doubt that if she saw it herself, she would think the same.

However, in order to escape this place and help the children she had sensed earlier, these men needed to die. Not only for their horrendous crimes, but also because if any of them were to remain alive, her chances of getting out of this place would be greatly diminished.

Seemingly lost in her thoughts, Akui took the opportunity to charge Sakura, but she was no as distracted as she seemed. Almost effortlessly, she threw the kunai at the tall man as he approached her, the weapon hitting him between the eyes, causing him to fall to the ground instantly.

Taking in a deep breath, she returned to her feet and pulled the kunai from Akui's head before turning to look at Odoshi, her last obstacle.

"Who…who are you?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly, alerting Sakura to the fact that despite his tough demeanour, he was afraid of the petal-haired girl.

She smiled.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, and I am a proud kunoichi of Konoha."

It felt nice to admit her true self to someone, and she knew that her secret would remain safe, as she planned on making sure Odoshi could not repeat it to anyone else.

She lunged at him with the kunai, aiming at his throat, but he spun to the left and out of the way. Her weapon instead got lodged into the wall, and Sakura realized that any attempt to remove it was futile. Instead, she'd have to rely on her fists instead, and be careful not to miss.

Odoshi used this opportunity to slash his kunai across Sakura's chest, but she leaned back just in time for the sharp blade to miss her by a mere inch. Luckily, his kunai also managed to become lodged in the wall, but the masked man seemed determine to retrieve it, giving the pinkette the distraction she needed.

Focusing her chakra into her fist, Sakura struck him in the face with her knuckles, causing the man to fly backwards from the forced, rebounding off the wall before landing hard on the floor. She carefully made her way over to him to check if he was still alive, however it seemed the blow had killed him for he lay completely still with his pulse fading into nothing.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief, the ordeal was over, and now she could concentrate on finding the stolen children, getting out of there and then locating Kakashi. All she could do was hope that he was still alive, and could hang on until she got there to help him.

Noticing her belongings in the corner of the room, Sakura moved over to retrieve them. Donning her tights and boots, she was grateful to find the kunai Rin had given her earlier was still stored inside her left boot. Either the rouge-nins hadn't noticed, or hadn't been bothered to go through her things before she'd regained consciousness.

She went to put on her dress, only to find that it had been ripped into pieces, obviously torn off her body when they had undressed her. Knowing those men had put their disgusting hands on her whilst she was unconscious made her shudder yet again, and anger boiled in her blood. If this had been her time, these men would have known not to mess with Haruno Sakura. Her name had already made it to several bingo books, the student of the incredibly powerful Slug Princess, Tsunade.

Throwing the tattered red material aside, Sakura reminded herself to try and find some kind of top that would cover her exposed midriff. One that was clean, of course, she didn't want to take any of the shirts from the men that lay bloodied on the floor.

Strapping her back-pack on, Sakura reached down to her boot and pulled the kunai out, looking at the men who were still clinging on to life despite the horrific injuries and great blood loss they had suffered.

It was time to put them out of their misery.

* * *

Some time later, Sakura finally came across the area where she had sensed the children earlier.

After leaving the room which she had woken up in, Sakura had stealthily made her way through the dark halls of the underground hide-out, killing any enemy who had come across her path, which luckily, hadn't been that many. Most of the members of this sick and twisted gang had been in that room with her, and they were all dead now.

The hideout itself hadn't been too large, at least not as grand as Orichimaru's had been. She was thankful that there wasn't an intricate maze of pathways for her to follow, otherwise there would be a good chance that she'd never be able to escape. The darkness had been somewhat of an issue, the torches that lined the walls few and far between. She didn't take one for herself, the approaching light would have alerted anyone she came across. And so, she used the shadows to her advantage.

Edging around the corner, Sakura could see the dimly lit room that was lined with a large cage-like cell. There only seemed to be one man guarding it, and if the pinkette was careful enough, she could take him out easily. Pulling out her medical pack as quietly as possibly, she took out a senbon, careful not to prick herself with it. With the guard's back turned, Sakura carefully aimed the slender metal needle at the back of the man's neck before flicking her delicate wrist with absolute precision.

The senbon hit him directly in the back of the neck, incapacitating him. He fell to the floor with a thud, Sakura appearing in the light before she swooped down and placed another one into his skin, this one with a fast-acting poison that would ultimately kill him in a matter of hours. She'd seen too much blood already, and she didn't want to scare the children further.

She looked up to seem huddled in the darkest corner of the cell, obviously frightened by her sudden appearance, and the guard that was now quivering on the floor. Attempting the best calming and reassuring smile she could muster under the circumstances, Sakura bent down and took the keys from the guard's belt before trying each of them in the large lock on the cell door.

"It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help you get back to your families." she told them as she tried key after key, finally finding the one that turned and caused the lock to open the cell door.

The pinkette swung it open and moved into the cell, noticing that it's occupants did not move, but only huddled tighter into the corner.

Sakura knelt down on the ground, this way she would be level with the younger ones. As she looked over them, she saw that they varied from roughly the ages of five to fifteen, the teenagers holding on tightly to the young children who clung to their legs.

"My name is Sakura, and I'm a medic. Once I heal your injuries, I'll take you back to your village, I promise." she tried again.

One of the older boys emerged from the crowd, looking down at her with what appeared to be a mix of caution and yet a small glimmer of hope.

"One of the guards slashed me yesterday when I asked for food."

He lifted up his shirt, revealing a rather large gash on the side of his abdomen that was beginning to become infected due to the dirty surroundings. Sakura beckoned for him to come closer, which he did slowly and warily.

Realizing that her words meant hardly anything to these terrified children, Sakura knew her actions would be a different story. Slowly, she moved her hands to hover over the boy's wound, her hands beginning to glow green with healing chakra, the light dully illuminating the dark cell, allowing her to see the unanimously surprised expressions on the children's faces.

Five minutes later, the boy's wound was no longer, the skin completely repaired and scar-free. He dropped his shirt back down and turned to Sakura, his mouth slightly agape.

"You…you're really here to rescue us?" he questioned, his voice wavering.

Sakura nodded, a beaming smile appearing on her features. It had been a while since she had felt this important, this fulfilled, this heroic. And the looks on the faces around her were priceless, and made it all worthwhile. This was why she wanted to be a shinobi. To see the expressions of gratitude and happiness on those she saved.

"I'm taking you home."

* * *

After numerous healings of dislocated shoulders, twisted ankles, cuts, bruises and infections later, Sakura and the children were finally on the move, making their way through the dimly lit hallways as they attempted to find their way out. Sakura remained at the back of the group in case someone tried to sneak up behind him, although she was fairly sure she had neutralised everyone else in the place.

Isamu, the teenage boy whom Sakura had healed first, had stayed behind the group with her and explained everything. As far as they were aware, they had been taken from their families and brought to the hide-out to be later sold as personal slaves to the rich families across the nations. Most of them had apparently already been sold and were to be transported the following day to their new homes and new lives.

Listening to their stories of being stolen away from their parents in the middle of the night made Sakura all the more glad she had put an end to this gang. Some of these children had hardly experienced life, and had so much more to look forward to, and being sold as a slave was hardly the kind of life for someone as young as the age of five.

She couldn't have imagined being taken from her mother and father at such as a tender age.

"There's light up ahead!"

One of the younger girls squealed with what could only be described as pure happiness as dull, natural light appeared at the end of the corridor before them, stairs leading up to it. The others also cheered happily, and it seemed as thought everyone had begun to move faster, practically racing to get out of this hellhole.

"I'd stop right there, if I were you."

The voice came from behind Sakura, causing her to freeze instantly before turning around to see it's owner, the group of children doing the same. An older man, with a thick brown moustache and even thicker hair across his head crossed his arms and glared at Sakura. He looked cleaner than the others, and better dressed. It was clear that he was the leader of this sick operation, and either a civilian, or a rogue-nin who knew how to hide his chakra well.

"I assume you're the one who's caused me so much misery?" he asked the pinkette calmly, raising an eyebrow at her questionably.

She clenched her hands into fists at her sides. "You mean, am I the one who ended this disgusting business of yours and took out all of your men? Yes, that would be me."

The man's eyes narrowed. "I believe you and I need to have a little chat."

Isamu moved behind Sakura, his eyes worried.

"Please Sakura-san, you don't have to get yourself hurt-"

"Get out of here, get them home." she interrupted him, hissing the command through her gritted teeth.

"But Sakura-san-"

"I said go! Now!"

Isamu hesitated momentarily, before returning to the others and ushering them to run for it. Instantly they did so, thundering down the corridor in desperation to reach the exit before anything else could stop them.

"Who said I gave you permission to leave?!" the man's voice boomed across the wall as he lunged forward with an arm outstretched.

_"Doton, doryū-"_

"Oh no you don't!"

Recognizing the jutsu's name, one of the many that Kakashi himself used, Sakura grabbed the man's arm and quickly inserted a senbon she had hidden earlier in her boot into the upper muscle. Instantly his arm went limp and heavy in her own grasp, she'd effectively neutralised it. The senbon had gone into his arm so deep that any attempts to remove it were useless, which he began to realize as he grasped at his shoulder.

Sakura sighed, crisis had been averted, and the last footsteps of the children were heard as they ran up the flight of stairs and outside. Her opponent had been attempting to create an Earth-Style Wall, which would have blocked everyone from escaping. There was no way she could have allowed that to happen.

"You bitch!" the man before her snarled, glaring at her.

Viridian eyes narrowed.

"You shouldn't have tried to block off the exit." she explained.

"You just let my money run out the front door, you're a fool if you think I'll let you get away with that."

With his threatening words, the man seemingly disappeared into the ground.

Looking at the exit, Sakura wondered if perhaps she should try and make a run for the entrance before he reappeared. But that would not solve the problem overall. No, this man would just get a new gang and continue to steal children and sell them off to the highest bidder. And that did not sit well with the petal-haired girl at all.

He was obviously an Earth-type user, which was both good and bad for the pinkette. Good, because earth was easy for her to smash to pieces. Bad, because they were surrounded by it, and a wrong move could end in entrapment from a cave-in. She'd have to be incredibly careful, and incredibly ale-

A hand suddenly shot out from the ground below her, breaking Sakura from her thoughts and before she had a chance to cry out, she was pulled underneath the ground, her head now the only part of her that was visible. She scolded herself for not recognizing the technique when he had disappeared, it was one she was very familiar with, the memory of Sasuke's head calling out to her in their very first bell test as mere genin appearing in her mind.

The man bent down, sneering at her.

"I can see why Warui took such a shine to you. He would have treated you like a princess, as long as you followed the rules. Such a shame." he lamented, stroking Sakura's cheek before she pulled away.

"Don't touch me."

"You are a feisty one." he chuckled. "It's such a pity that you're going to have to die."

That was it.

Sakura was sick to death of the constant cliché enemy speeches and wanted to put this to an end.

She wanted to get out of this place and find Kakashi.

Summoning chakra in both her fists and feet, Sakura wiggled as much as the tight space around her would allow, causing the earth to crumble around her. The man, surprise appearing on his face, stepped back and tripped, falling hard on his back into the floor as Sakura managed to climb out of the ground.

She was furious.

"I'm going home."

With that, she jumped up, holding out her left leg as high as possible, mustering all the chakra she had left into her heel.

_"Tsūtenkyaku!"_

Sakura axe-kicked the man in the chest, hard, causing him to cough out blood. It wasn't as powerful as her master's attack, but it seemed to have done the job. He wasn't moving anytime soon, unfortunately the power in her kick had caused the ground to start rumbling, and the hide-out was quickly beginning to cave-in.

Realizing she had very little time to get to the exit, Sakura jumped over the dying man, sprinting to the stairs. Her feet thumped against them as she ascended, the corridor collapsing behind her.

Suddenly there was light, so bright that it caused pain in her viridian orbs. Sakura tripped and fell to the ground, hearing and feeling the hide-out crumbling into the ground.

She'd made it.

The petal-haired girl sat up and turned around, looking to where the exit had once been once her eyes had adjusted to the natural light. There was no sign, except that the ground now looked like shattered rock. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing her ordeal was over. Feeling her body aching, she sat there for a while, trying to regain the strength to continue on.

She couldn't sense the children anywhere, obviously they had gotten out of the area as quickly as possible, eager to return home to their parents. The pinkette could only hope that they would find their village easily, and not get lost in the forest. She trusted that the older ones would have a rough idea of where to go.

The sky began to darken, it seemed that there was a storm on it's way. If Sakura wanted to find Kakashi, she'd have to leave soon or risk being caught in the rain and lightning. Slowly she got to her feet, making sure her back-pack was still secure before turning around to try and find her companion.

"…Sakura?"

It seemed she needn't bother.

Kakashi stood before Sakura, his one visible eye widened with a mix of emotions. He looked worse for wear, his clothing ripped and torn in various places, splashes of blood just able to be seen through the dark navy material.

She blinked for a moment as her mind registered just what was going on.

"Ka…ka…shi?"

He nodded slowly, and before she could help herself, Sakura lunged forward and threw her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace, pressing herself up against him. She noticed that he stiffened, and winced, most likely from the various wounds from his battle. Realizing her mistake, she stepped back from him, her cheeks that same colour as her hair.

"I'm sorry, I just…I thought…"

"I'm fine." Kakashi reassured her, knowing where her words were going.

"What happened?" she asked him, her eyes drinking in his form.

It felt like eons since the pinkette had seen him, and standing before her, Kakashi had never looked so amazing. It seemed she had somehow forgotten just how handsome he was, despite the fact that his face was still covered by that infernal mask. All she wanted to do at that moment was wrap her arms around him again, pull that material off his face and kiss him.

Even if he was battered and bruised.

"I could ask you the same thing." he replied cautiously, breaking Sakura from her thoughts as he looked her over. "Sakura, you're covered in blood."

Her own eyes widened as she looked down, horrified to see that he was right. Her exposed midriff and arms had been painted a sinister shade of red, it had been so dark inside the hide-out that she hadn't been aware of the blood from those she had killed now covering her body.

"None of it's mine." she told him quickly, hoping to ease his worries, but it didn't seem to work.

"Then who's is it?" he asked, focusing his eye directly on her face, and she swore she could see the hint of a blush rise up from behind his mask.

Realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

Sakura was only clad in a bra and tights.

Covering up her chest with her arms, her eyes trailed to the ground as her cheeks burned with intense embarrassment. In her haste to get out of the hide-out, she'd completely forgotten to find herself something else to wear to cover herself up with. The children hadn't said anything, but now that she knew, she realized that the older boys _had_ looked at her strangely…

"Sakura?" the silver-haired ANBU prompted.

"I…" she began to answer, when suddenly her head began to feel incredibly heavy.

The pinkette swayed on the spot, suddenly finding it hard to keep control over her fatigued body.

"Sakura?" Kakashi moved towards her, his voice full of concern.

"I…I'm fine…" she mumbled, before she hit the ground.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ I hated writing this chapter. At first I was totally excited, and then as I continued, I just realized how bad I am at writing all the fighting scenes. Romance I'm fine with. Action? Not so much. Still, I tried._

_**2.**__ Rin's actual surname has been revealed in the manga. So I ask you, dearest readers, should I keep it as Nekozuka, or go back and change it to Nohara? (At least I got the 'N' right)._

_**3.**__ Next chapter is going to be hot. Not lemon hot, but things will he happening between our two. You're really not going to want to miss it!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_I posted about this on my Tumblr (link is listed on my profile), why I was updating so early. Due to a mix of slack updates and the fact that I'm going on a holiday in a week and I won't be able to post during that time, there will be this update posted now, and fifteen will be up before I leave. Sixteen might take a little while, once I return home I need to return to my daily routine and resettle before I can write again._

_Also, the reviews for thirteen were amazing and came in so quickly, I was astounded at the response! I'm really glad you all enjoyed my fight scenes, seems that once again I underestimated myself. You are all so lovely and hearing from you really makes my day! So indulge in this early update, it's your reward for being such amazing readers._

_This chapter has been long awaited, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A loud crackling noise reverberated in the area, rousing Sakura from her slumber.

Suddenly she opened her eyes, only to be greeted with an intense light that seemed to almost burn her viridian orbs in their sockets for a split second before it faded, the world plunging once again into darkness.

Slowly but surely, her eyes adjusted, the darkness become lighter with an orange glow. She was by a campfire, the pinkette realised. She lay still for a few moments longer as her brain began to kick into gear and she became more aware of both herself and her surroundings before gradually manoeuvring her aching body into an upright position.

As Sakura sat up, she realised from the dull pain in her muscles that she was incredibly fatigued, and had passed out due to an exertion of her chakra. The petal-haired girl had been so focused on healing the stolen children, rescuing them and getting herself out of that awful place that she hadn't once checked to see how depleted her chakra had been.

Looking around, she could see dimly that she was no longer outside, but now in what looked to be a cave of some sort, dark jagged rocks surrounding her. The campfire seemed to be the only source of light, the illumination bouncing dully off the rocky walls. Sakura had no idea how she'd gotten there, the last thing she remembered was the soft grass underneath her body, the sun struggling to shine through dark clouds. It had still been daytime, the darkness indicated that it was now night.

The pinkette lifted a hand up to run through her hair, surprised to find it still damp. As her limb raised, her eyes caught sight of her forearm, confusing her. Earlier, her skin had been tainted a sinister shade of red, it now seemed to have returned to it's usual alabaster complexion. Surprised by this, she looked down and checked her exposed midriff, it too was clean of any blood.

How had she suddenly become cleansed of all the blood that had covered her form?

Sakura turned her head to the left, her gaze coming across her silver-haired companion, who hadn't seemed to notice that she was now awake, his sole obsidian eye focused on the small fire before him. The pinkette frowned at him, unsure if something peculiar had occurred whilst she had been unconscious for the second time that day.

"Kakashi?" she finally spoke, causing him to look at her with mild astonishment.

"Yo." he greeted her, reminiscent of his older incarnation.

But Sakura didn't have time to dwell on such things.

"Did…did you clean me whilst I was asleep?" she asked him, almost accusingly, suddenly feeling somewhat violated.

Yes, there was a part of her deep down that wanted Kakashi's hands to explore every inch of her skin. Except that those fantasies included her actually being awake and consenting. The idea of him washing her down whilst she was unaware was just plain unnerving.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Shortly after you passed out, the storm hit. It began to rain heavily, so I picked you up and found the nearest shelter, which was this nearby cave. In that time, the rain washed away all the blood." he explained calmly.

Sakura felt like a fool. She could hear the storm still raging outside, it had been the thunder that had woken her, the lightning rendering her temporarily blind. She was still somewhat disorientated, her wits not catching up as quickly as she would have liked. So she chose to render herself silent for the time being as she gathered herself properly, her eyes fixated on the fire as well.

"Are you feeling any better?" Kakashi inquired, breaking the silence.

"A little." she admitted, wrapping her arms around herself as she remembered her upper half was only clad in a bra.

Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment yet again, luckily it wasn't noticeable in the fire light.

"What happened Sakura?"

Viridian eyes shot up to meet with a intrigued obsidian one, which was observing her carefully. In her haste to get out of the hide-out, she hadn't had the time to come up with a story that would explain how she was freed and the reason behind the place collapsing. Her mind went into overdrive, but caused nothing more than a sudden headache.

Wincing, she dropped her head slightly, holding a hand to her forehead.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked immediately, concern in his tone.

"Headache." she replied simply.

If Sakura couldn't come up with something that was plausible, she was done for. Kakashi would eventually put the pieces together and figure her out, perhaps even go to the Hokage with his discovery, and then they would be forbidden from interacting with one another. Selfishly, she didn't want that to happen. Aside from her friendship with Rin, having his familiar masked face around was comforting in a time where she didn't belong.

"You're stalling." the silver-haired man accused her.

Sakura shot him an annoyed look, but Kakashi was indeed correct. She needed more time to think about it. She turned her eyes back to the ground, running her petite fingers through her bubblegum tresses.

"My memory is hazy, I don't…I can't exactly recall what happened. I just remember the blood." she said softly, lying through her teeth.

Playing the part of the traumatized civilian was the only way she could get out of his interrogation for now. Most civilians had problems when they were involved with shinobi, especially when there was killing involved. Of course, being a medic meant that she was already accustomed to blood, but she could easily argue that the colossal amount had affected her greatly if needed.

"I see." came the sceptical response.

She looked back up at Kakashi, noting the exhaustion that was evident in his voice. He sounded incredibly worn out, and fatigued like herself. His breath also seemed somewhat laboured and there was an edge to his voice, one she was accustomed to and yet had not heard recently.

He was in pain.

And considering how much control he usually had over it, his injuries were extensive.

**_"Sakura!"_**

_He went to run to her, to save her, when his opponent used the distraction to attack, slashing Kakashi's back deeply with his kunai, causing the silver-haired ANBU to scream out in agonising pain before he fell to the ground._

Sakura's eyes flew open.

"Let me heal your back."

Kakashi turned to face her, his eye widening slightly.

"It's fine." he responded stubbornly.

The pinkette crossed her arms in defiance.

"I can tell it's not fine, I'm a medic after all. You're already having trouble with your respiratory system and if I don't treat it soon, there is a chance of your body going into shock and the severe possibility of infection." Sakura reprimanded him.

"But you're fatigued." Kakashi argued back, obviously unwilling to give in.

Well, at least it was evident to Sakura that her sensei had always been a stubborn fool, not much had changed there. He'd always loathed hospitals, despite having been admitted quite regularly. In her own time, there was always the same old back and forth between them when Kakashi was injured on missions, but they both knew he'd eventually relent to her in the end.

This time, Sakura didn't have that bond, those years of friendship to rely on. This Kakashi was completely new to her. And whilst there were many things that remained unchanged, there was still a lot she didn't know about him. And he barely knew her, his suspicions about the pinkette a clear wedge between them. But she wanted to bridge that gap, get to know the enigma that had plagued her in all the years of knowing Hatake Kakashi without actually understanding him.

As of right now, she wasn't giving up without a fight.

"I've rested, I'll be fine. We both now that having you injured would be detrimental to our mission, not to mention a complete pain in the ass whilst we continue. You need to be at your best in case anything happens again."

His eye closing, Kakashi sighed, the evidence of victory.

"Fine."

He turned from her, lifting his shirt up slowly, deliberately, and Sakura knew it was because the motion caused him further pain. As his top rose to expose the toned muscle of his back, it also revealed the ugly and angry gash that was embedded within his flesh, causing Sakura to gasp softly.

With that wound, it was amazing that Kakashi was even coherent. Injuries like his caused incredible agony, such intense pain that most people would pass out. And yet the silver-haired Jōnin had somehow managed to not only drag himself to the cave during the storm, but also had carried her as well. Sakura had been unconscious at the time and had no control over her muscles, her dead weight would have been incredibly heavy.

The petal-haired girl had no idea how Kakashi did it. It was almost as if he were super-human at times.

Free of his shirt now, his back facing Sakura, Kakashi moved his head ever so slightly to left, the side of his face dimly illuminated by the campfire, the side of his bare cheek only just visible to her. He was completely mask-less in her presence, and this time there was nothing else to cover up his naked face.

Sakura's curiosity peaked, this could be her chance to finally see his usually hidden features, but that thought was quickly replaced by the medic within that reminded her that Kakashi's back needed urgent medical attention.

Making her way out of what she recognized to be Kakashi's sleeping bag and noticing how cool the air was from the storm outside, she crawled across the rocky floor to her companion, sitting on her knees directly behind him. Ignoring the uncomfortableness of the edges of rock and pieces of gravel that were digging into her shins, Sakura focused her attention on the injury before her eyes.

Despite the dull light, she could see that the laceration was incredibly deep, and had been weeping. The skin around it was red and swollen, and Sakura knew that if she didn't start healing it right away, a bacterial infection would potentially occur soon and that would make the situation much worse.

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura held her hands up, just above the gash. Seconds later they glowed green, some of her chakra had already been restored. Instantly she got to work, starting the lengthy process of repairing the torn muscle, tissue and cartilage in Kakashi's back.

"It's strange, most civilian medics don't use chakra."

Sakura paused for a moment, realizing her mistake. She'd become so accustomed to using her chakra for healing and was quicker and definitely more effective than ordinary methods. Of course Kakashi would have noticed, but he'd seen her use it before. Why hadn't he said anything earlier?

"What is that supposed to mean?" she bit back, continuing her healing.

"I just find it to be a peculiar and interesting fact. It's one of the many things that doesn't add up about you, Sakura."

The pinkette bit her lip.

"It's how I was taught. From a young age I seemed to have a natural aptitude for controlling my chakra, the shinobi that passed through my village taught me how. When I was younger I dreamed of becoming a kunoichi, however that didn't happen, and I chose instead to focus on my medical training."

The more the lies came, the easier it was to conjure them. It made her feel sick however, lying to someone she would become somewhat close to in her future. However, it was essential that she keep the truth from him, for both of their sakes.

"And your grandmother also knew how to control her chakra?" Kakashi probed further.

"To some extent, but a lesser degree than myself. I never found it to be strange, there are many people in the world who can use chakra but have not been trained as shinobi."

Sakura knew she had a point there, and that Kakashi would realize it too. He remained silent, and she wondered if perhaps he was going over what she had said in his head, trying to determine what he felt about her words, and if he believed them.

"What, no more interrogating?" she teased him lightly, an attempt to break the sudden tension in the air around the two.

"Can you blame me? You are incredibly secretive Sakura, not to mention a perplexing conundrum who is proving quite difficult to discover."

"Everyone has their secrets, whether or not they choose to share them is their own business. Besides, that's quite hypocritical of you, Kakashi. You've barely said anything about yourself, save for that night I was upset and you spoke briefly about your parents. Usually when people begin to interact, they ask about trivial facts, not personal histories. I don't even know what your favourite colour is." the pinkette bit back.

"Blue." Kakashi murmured softly.

"What was that?"

"My favourite colour, it's blue." he repeated, this time loud enough for her ears to hear his words clearly.

A smile graced Sakura's lips, one she was unaware of. In her six years of knowing Kakashi, she'd never learnt what hue he liked the most. A lot of people would say that it was a useless fact that had no value in being known, but to her, the knowledge was priceless.

"A lot of people would think I liked pink, but I've always loved red." she replied, even though he hadn't asked her.

"It looks good on you." Kakashi commented, causing her cheeks to flush again, and she was thankful he was facing away from her.

The healing was coming along nicely, the tissue and muscle repairing quite nicely under her glowing fingers. Her patient hadn't said a word or indicated that he was still in pain, his breathing was returning to normal and he had relaxed considerably since she had started the procedure.

Strangely, it was nice, simply sitting there and getting to know one another.

"Well I've told you plenty about myself, now I think it's my turn to find out more about you. And I'll even recycle one of your questions from this morning - have you ever been in love?"

Kakashi stiffened slightly under her hands, and Sakura knew it was a very personal question to be asking. Selfishly, she was dying to know the answer, and since she had answered him when he had inquired about it, she felt it was only fair that he do so as well.

"No." came the quick and curt answer.

"Really?"

"Really."

Sakura paused for a moment.

"What about Rin?"

Now she was entering dangerous territory. Her brunette friend had made it no secret that she was in love with Kakashi, and had told Sakura only a few days ago that she knew there was nothing there on his end. The pinkette wanted to know if this was true, and if so, why not?

She also wondered if it would make the guilt of her own feelings for the silver-haired Jōnin diminish in some way.

"I know about Rin's feelings towards me, but I do not return them. I can't."

That was definitely not the answer Sakura was expecting.

"Why not?" she asked inquisitively.

There was quietness on Kakashi's end until he finally spoke once more.

"Obito."

There was that name again. She'd heard Rin mention it before, her voice filled with the same sadness that echoed in Kakashi's tone, laced with pain and what she suspected as regret.

"Who is Obito?"

Sakura knew she was getting a little too personal, but she desperately wanted answers on the subject, and it seemed like now was the best time to get them, as Kakashi was actually opening up to her willingly.

"He was our team-mate, and he loved Rin, had since we were mere genin. He was dedicated to her, even to the point of his death. As he was dying, he told me to look after her, he knew that despite his feelings, she'd only ever had eyes for me. After losing Obito, we came together in our grief and Rin told me of her feelings, but I couldn't bring myself to be with her." Kakashi explained, his voice wavering slightly.

Sakura frowned, she'd had some knowledge that their team-mate, along with their sensei, had passed away, but nothing of the love-triangle that had existed between them. In a sad way, it reminded her of her own genin days, Naruto had openly declared his love for the pinkette, but she'd only had eyes for Sasuke.

The irony was not lost on her.

"All Rin wants is for you to try, to make her yours." she replied softly, hating the words as they left her lips.

As much as she desired to have some kind of romance with Kakashi, Sakura knew it was wrong, for so many reasons. The least she could do was attempt to bring him and Rin closer, do a good, selfless deed during her stay in the past. Perhaps that would change things in the future, her own time. She'd always seen the loneliness that appeared in her sensei's sole eye, the least she could do was try and help him in some way.

"She could never be mine. She's supposed to Obito's. I could never love her the way he did."

"She hasn't said much about him to me." Sakura added, unsure of what to really say in response.

"We don't talk about it that much. The pain is still very raw, despite the fact that he's been gone for four years now."

There was a pause in Kakashi's words before he continued.

"We had always clashed, I found him to be insufferable and a complete fool. On our last mission, during the third great shinobi war, I was promoted to Jōnin and was to lead the mission for the first time. I thought I knew everything, that I had it all under complete control. Then Rin was taken by the enemy."

Sakura said nothing, rendered silent as she proceeded with completing the healing of Kakashi's back as he carried on with his story.

"I was focused on carrying out our mission as ordered, but Obito…he was adamant that we rescue Rin. I tried to pull rank on him, but he refused to just leave her, his love for her taking over his judgement. I'd been told that emotions cloud judgement, and that as a shinobi, we are to disregard them, and this was a shining example in my mind at the time of why that was so. But then, he uttered words that have stuck with me ever since."

The pinkette halted her breathing, waiting for the words to come, somehow knowing what they were.

_"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true...but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."_

Sakura let out her breath, finally learning about where those legendary words had come from. Since first hearing them spoken by Kakashi, she'd known that there was more meaning behind them, something that was quite personal for her sensei as he'd always abided strictly by them.

"That was the moment where our differences were put aside and we came together as a team. As we tracked down Rin, we were attacked, and I lost my left eye. Obito saved us both, he had finally awoken his Sharingan and took the enemy out. We finally located Rin inside a hide-out made of earth, but before we could get her to safety, the man that had taken her released a justu that made the hide-out collapse. Obito pushed me out of the way of a falling rock, and ended up becoming crushed beneath it. There was nothing we could do, and yet he was so calm, the bravest I'd ever seen him. He gave me his Sharingan eye to replace the one I had lost, a present for receiving the rank of Jōnin as he had forgotten to get me one earlier, he told me. We managed to make it out of there before the place crumbled to the ground, but Obito…" Kakashi trailed off, obviously unable to continue his sentence.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I had no idea."

Sakura was amazed, not only that Kakashi was actually opening up to her about something that was incredibly personal and sorrowful, but that his story had given her the answers to many questions she'd had over the years. The Sharingan had been one of those particular mysteries, she'd never learned about how he had received it until now.

"I've never spoken about it. I don't know why, but I…I can't help but open up to you, about things I wouldn't discuss with anyone. I've never been an open person, but with you, I find myself wanting you to know. Which is why I usually keep my mouth shut." Kakashi admitted suddenly, catching her off guard.

Sakura had no response, too shocked to even speak. Instead, she finished healing his back, the skin finally meshing together. There would be slight scarring, the wound had been too deep and her chakra wasn't restored enough to prevent it, but he was out of danger and would have no further problems.

Once done, she realized that it was probably a good idea to look at his Sharingan too, something she usually did out of habit when fixing up her sensei on a mission.

"Let me have a look at your Sharingan."

Kakashi paused, but did not turn around.

"It's fine."

He reached for his top, but Sakura stopped him.

"You need to let your back breathe for a while. I've healed it, but the skin needs time to properly settle." she explained, and he withdrew his arm.

"Now stop being a stubborn ass and let me check your Sharingan." the pinkette continued.

Kakashi didn't budge, and Sakura realized why.

"Look, I know you'll have to face me, and you're unmasked. I won't look if you don't want me to."

"That's not why. You just healed my back, I don't want you to use up the rest of your chakra on my eye." he insisted.

"That just proves that you need to have it looked at. Don't make me incapacitate you." she warned him, a gentle growl in her voice.

Kakashi sighed, and suddenly shifted his body so that he was facing her. As he turned, Sakura found herself unable to breathe in anticipation, she would finally be able to see the face behind the mask, the face that had eluded her for years, the face that apparently made girls swoon and hearts flutter.

The silver-haired man sat before her, and lifted his gaze up from the ground to meet hers, his naked face now in full view.

Sakura felt all the air escape from her lungs.

He was beautiful.

She could see his strong angular jaw, shadows from the fire dancing across the bare skin. A straight and narrow nose, matched with a pair of full and sensual lips which suddenly quirked into a crooked smile of amusement as her viridian eyes swept across his features, his obsidian eye watching her intently. She could see the bottom of the long thin scar that was etched across his Sharingan, cutting into his cheek. There were others, small scars here and there, thin and white across his chin and cheeks.

For years, Sakura had fantasized about her sensei's face. There had been the thought of what had been hidden behind the mask - the possibility of buck teeth, the chance of oversized fish-like lips. Thankfully, it seemed she had been incredibly wrong. She knew that what she saw before her eyes was the younger version, that her sensei would have aged lines etched into his skin, but either way, he was still breathtakingly handsome, and it made the butterflies that had emerged in her abdomen flutter even more.

Kakashi lifted up his hands suddenly, breaking her focus as he removed his hitai-ate, revealing his left eye. The lid was closed, but there was a thin layer of crusted blood beneath it, making Sakura frown at him. He'd obviously over-used it, and she figured it was from his fight with Hiretsu after she had been taken and he had been wounded.

Sakura leaned forward to get a closer inspection, but almost fell forward whilst doing so. Her legs had seemingly become numb, the uncomfortableness showing on her face. She needed to be close to Kakashi in order to look at his Sharingan properly, and they way they were currently sitting was not helping.

He seemed to notice her predicament, and gestured for her to stand. She got to her feet, and Kakashi stretched out his legs before himself, he had been sitting in the same position as Sakura earlier.

"Sit on my lap, it will be easier and much more comfortable for the both of us." he explained innocently, crossing his legs so he could sit upright properly.

Sakura's cheeks flushed with incredible heat. They had already experienced some close moments, but nothing as intimate as this. Whilst she was mortified by the thought of perching herself on his lap, she was also thrilled by the idea of being so close to him.

Silently, she complied, noticing that Kakashi's own cheeks seemed to have taken on colour, a sight that she revelled in. Once in a comfortable position, her feet on the ground beside his thighs, her knees brushing up against the sides of his torso, the tension returned, the air becoming much thicker than she remembered. The slight chill in the air had gone, replaced with a warming heat which seemed to radiate from the man before her.

Neither of them spoke, and instantly she got to work on checking over his Sharingan. He obviously wasn't as adept with using it for lengthy periods of time, but luckily there was no irreversible damage. Her fingers resumed their green glow as she worked, trying to ignore his aroma which permeated her nostrils, the way his breath fanned over the side of her neck, how her heart pounded louder and harder in her chest with each passing moment.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Kakashi's voice was low, and vibrated through his body, making her breath hitch.

"When you kissed me, thinking I was Rin?" she answered back, trying her best not to think of the brunette, especially not during the current situation.

"Was that your first kiss?"

He was looking at her, mismatched eyes of obsidian and crimson meeting wide viridian ones. Sakura couldn't quite read the emotion in them, but answered truthfully.

"Yes."

Her focus returned to his Sharingan, which was almost completely healed.

"It was mine too."

The pinkette desperately tried to ignore the heat that had ignited in the bottom of her stomach, the butterflies increasing in number and speed. She kept her gaze focused on his eye, ignoring the strange way he continued to look at her.

Had his face moved closer to her own?

"You know…I don't really mind that my first kiss was with you." Sakura heard herself admitting, instantly regretting the words.

"I don't really count it as a first kiss."

What was that supposed to mean? Sakura felt slightly hurt by his words, and pulled her fingers away from his now fully-healed Sharingan. Despite having finished, she couldn't bring herself to move away from him, not when his warmth and scent were so intoxicating.

"Why not?" she asked him, her voice shaky.

"I was wearing my mask at the time." Kakashi explained, his eyes now trailing down her face, pausing at her lips.

"Oh." was all Sakura could manage in reply.

"Maybe we should try again, this time properly."

Before the pinkette could respond, Kakashi wove a hand through her hair to grasp the back of her head gently and pulled her towards him, lips pressed tentatively against her own, warm and soft.

At first the kiss was hesitant on the silver-haired man's behalf, but when Sakura began to respond almost immediately, surprising herself, it deepened, the heat between them growing with each passing second. His other hand moved to splay his long fingers across the warm skin of her bare back, her own moving to cup each side of his face as she pushed her torso against his, closing the gap between them.

The kiss broke off, ragged breaths shared between the two before Kakashi's lips slanted against Sakura's yet again. His mouth seemed as if it were on fire, yet the caress of his lips was softer than she could have ever imagined. The world surrounding them was forgotten, all she could think about was Kakashi and how amazing he tasted, how heated his skin was and the desire that was quickly building up inside herself.

The heat had started as a mere flicker in the pit of her stomach, but each time his mouth pressed against hers with more passion, it quickly turned into a flame that begun to spread out across her body, travelling to her fingertips. Sakura was afraid that anytime soon, her skin would burst into flames. She'd never experienced anything like it, and was happily allowing herself to disregard her thoughts and just go along with the powerful surge of emotions that swept across her body.

Kakashi pushed Sakura up against his naked torso, the skin there scorching against her own. He nipped at her bottom lip gently with his teeth, causing her to moan into his mouth, unable to help herself. He took this opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, exploring until it found hers. Having never kissed someone in such a way before, Sakura went with her instinct, responding quickly as her tongue danced around Kakashi's, her hands moving to the back of his head, clutching fistfuls of silver locks.

Suddenly, Kakashi pulled back, almost as if he had been burned. His hands left Sakura's petite frame, moving to run through his hair which the pinkette immediately let go of.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I seem to have lost myself." he muttered, mismatched eyes unable to meet hers, his breath coming out in pants like her own.

"It's fine." she managed to reply, her own viridian orbs trailing to the ground.

Sakura was hoping she didn't sound too disappointed. In fact, she didn't exactly know how to react, to either the kiss or Kakashi's sudden tone of regret. The rejection had begun to slowly course through her system, she'd been so lost in his heat that the abrupt end had caused her to become temporarily numb.

"We should probably get some rest before the sun rises." Kakashi spoke up again, shifting awkwardly underneath Sakura.

Instantly she rose off him, returning to her feet before stepping away, her legs feeling like jelly as she tried to maintain her balance. She felt jittery and weak, and suddenly incredibly cold without the warmth of his skin.

Kakashi grabbed his shirt and donned it once more, his handsome features disappearing behind the dark blue material of his mask as he pulled it up over his face, much to Sakura's disappointment.

"You should take the sleeping bag, I'll stay up and keep watch." she told him, hugging her arms around her petite form.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

The pinkette nodded. "If any trouble occurs, I'll wake you."

Truthfully, there was no way she could sleep, not after what had just happened between them. Her mind was racing, as was her heart. Any kind of rest would be unobtainable.

Clearly too exhausted to argue, Kakashi said nothing more as he stood up and wandered over to the sleeping bag before manoeuvring inside the material. Sakura watched him, wondering if he was too contemplating the kiss, and what it had meant to him. Had he felt the burning desire that she had experienced?

As silence settled in the cave, Sakura took a seat by the fire, her eyes constantly flickering over to Kakashi, who appeared to have succumbed to slumber rather quickly, leaving her to the many thoughts that currently invaded her mind. She had no idea where they stood now, and desperately she wanted to know why he had abruptly pulled away. If she'd had the choice, they would still be embracing, lips pressed feverishly against one another's.

It was obvious that things were different between them now. The kiss had changed their dynamic, and there was no going back. Perhaps she'd get some answers to her many questions when he woke, but she didn't want to push it. Treading carefully around Kakashi was now her only option, as he was the one who had ended their brief encounter, he would have to be the one who would explain where they were at with their relationship now.

Guilt slowly settled in as her thoughts flew to Rin. The brunette had given her the go ahead, but that didn't mean that Sakura had to comply. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt a beloved friend, and although Rin might have claimed that she didn't mind, the pinkette knew that knowledge of the kiss would be painful for her.

Holding her hands up in front of the fire in a bid for some warmth, Sakura knew she would have to wait for the sun to rise before she would gain any kind of clarity on the situation.

Until then, she was left with her confused thoughts and scattered emotions.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1**__. KISSES! Yay! Worked my butt of trying to get it right, that scene has been in my head since I started writing this story. I know it ended a bit unexpectedly, but we will get answers as to why Kakashi backed away. Just know that it was very hard for him to do. Hope you enjoyed it!._

_**2.**__ I wish I was a talented artist, because then I would totally draw the kissing scene, and it would be amazing. Sadly, I'm not. Does anyone know of an artist who would take such a request? Or someone who likes to draw fan-art? Sadly, I've never received one for any of my stories. Got my fingers crossed though, maybe one day!_

_**3.**__ This chapter took me so long to write, mostly because it's one of the most important in the story and I wanted to get it perfect. Well, as close to perfect as I could get. I find it hard to describe the scenes I envision in my head, but I try my best._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	15. Chapter 15

_I am so very, very sorry that this chapter was not posted earlier. I didn't have the time to write and update before I left for my trip, but now that I'm back at home, here we are. Once again, I apologize. I really hate saying that I will do something and then I find that I can't fulfil that promise. Life just doesn't go our way sometimes._

_I did have a great holiday, I got to spend some time with my amazing mama who is the epitome of cool. She lives in another state so I rarely get to see her, it had been a year and a half since I last got to spend time with her. I'm glad to be back home though, there's really no bed like your own and I missed my cat whilst I was away. (yes, I'm a crazy cat lady, although I only have one feline child at present.)_

_So here is the next chapter, hopefully the next one will be updated on time next week! Can't wait to find out what your thoughts are on everything that has happened (and will be happening), I love you guys and you're awesome!_

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"Ow!"

Having woken with a start, banging her head against the rocky wall of the cave, it was fair to say that Sakura was not in a good mood at all. As she rubbed the now rising bump that had formed on the back of her scalp, she began to blink rapidly as her eyes attempted to adjust to the beams of soft light that were filtering into the previously darkened area. The sun had risen, which meant it was the start of a new day.

Biting her lip and furrowing her eyebrows together in annoyance, Sakura inwardly cursed herself for falling asleep whilst she was supposed to be on watch. She couldn't remember actually feeling tired at all, dozing off, or much of what had happened the night before. All she knew was her head currently hurt and her back ached with dull pain from being pressed against the rocky walls for an unknown number of hours.

As her coherency began to kick into gear, the pinkette attempted to recollect what had happened. She recalled having woken up in the cave, Kakashi sitting by the fire. Her skin had been clean instead of bloody, she accused him of being a pervert and cleaning her as she was unconscious. He'd explained the storm, and it was clear that he had been in pain. She had demanded that she heal him, despite his protests. And then…

His mouth crashing against hers in a mix of intense heat and desire.

Sakura's cheeks flushed with warmth as her mind returned to those passionate moments, her fingers moving to her lips and tracing over them gently as she remembered the feel of his own pressed against her own with such softness, his tongue dancing with hers, his hands in her hair and on her back, how delicious he smelt and tasted at the same time.

She could feel her heart racing as her thoughts continued, her skin tingling before once again experiencing the sting of rejection as she recalled how Kakashi had pulled away from her suddenly, acting as if nothing had happened. She didn't know why he had stopped, had she done something wrong? Pushed the boundaries too far?

Perhaps it was best to forget that it had ever happened. Now that she was thinking clearer, Sakura realized just how messy the situation could be. Rin would be devastated if she found out, whether or not she had given the pinkette the go-ahead. And not to mention how it could affect her relationship with Kakashi in the future, her sensei, the man who was much older and had known her since she was twelve.

The last thing she wanted was to mess anything up, and ruin her relationships with those who were close to her. Having any kind of romance with someone in this time was dangerous and forbidden, there was no way of it ending well and she knew that. So then why had Sakura allowed herself to have such feelings for Kakashi, especially as she knew him in her own time?

More than ever, Sakura wanted to go home. It seemed that she was getting much too comfortable in the past, and the potential to make mistakes that could have dire consequences in her own time was growing dangerously. For now, she simply wanted to return to Konoha and hide in her room until the counter-jutsu was created. That would hinder any future blundering she could do, and leave little chance for more mistakes.

There was no time to dwell on it now. The quicker she got ready to get out of this place, the sooner she could be back at the village, keeping to herself and not getting into any more predicaments. The fact that she was fourteen years in the past was enough.

Finally mustering the energy to get to her feet, Sakura yawned loudly and stretched her arms out above her head. With disdain, she realised she was still only clad in her bra and tights. She would have to find some kind of dress or shirt to cover herself up on the journey home, there was no way she could walk around so barely clothed, ogled by random passer-bys.

She quickly glanced over to Kakashi's sleeping bag to see if he was also awake, or at least where it had been located last time she had looked.

It was gone.

In fact, all of Kakashi's belongings were gone.

All that remained in the cave besides herself were Sakura's backpack and the smoking fire, which appeared to have only recently died out, tendrils of smoke curling up towards the roof.

Viridian eyes looked around the area frantically, searching for a sign, a clue, any kind of indication as to where her silver-haired companion had disappeared to. But to her dismay, there was nothing.

Sakura's heart began to race as panic set in. Had he been taken whilst she was asleep? She was meant to be keeping watch in case any such thing occurred. Had some members of the gang she had taken down survived? If so, had they wanted revenge? Was it her fault he was gone? Was he alright?

The pinkette took a moment to close her eyes, breathing in deeply to calm herself.

Even if he had been asleep, Kakashi would have known if there had been intruders. It was almost like a sixth sense that he had, one that had saved them both on several occasions in her own time. Also, there were no obvious signs of struggle, and Sakura knew he wouldn't have just handed himself over willingly. Besides, if they had been attacked during the night, wouldn't Sakura have been captured too? Or at least incapacitated in some way? As far as she knew, the only injury she had was the bump on her head, and that had been unwillingly self-inflicted.

It seemed that Kakashi had gone somewhere alone, on his own terms.

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

He'd gone and left her.

She knew he'd been a bit strange last night after they had kissed, but she honestly couldn't have fathomed that he'd just up and leave her. She was supposed to be a civilian after all, wasn't he meant to be by her side at all times, protecting her from harm? Unfortunately, he'd already failed once in that respect, but Sakura had been so certain that he wouldn't have let it happen again.

Feeling the anger begin to course through her veins, Sakura slammed her foot down on the ground, causing the cave walls to shake ever so slightly. Her mind was made up; she was going to track Kakashi down, and when she did, he was going to get the scolding of a lifetime. The bastard was probably halfway to Konoha by now.

Grabbing her backpack, she slung it over her shoulder, clasping it across her chest. Sakura took a few minutes to calm herself, at this rate she'd tire out before she caught up to him. Once she had collected herself, she stormed out of the cave, her head held high and her rage building up for when she came across the silver-haired Jōnin.

However, things did not go to plan. One minute she was exiting the cave, the next thing she knew, a random string of wire shot up from the ground, tightening around her left ankle before she was flipped upside down and strung up in the air, hanging from a tree by said ankle.

As it had all happened so quick, Sakura's mind took a few seconds to process what had just happened. When it finally hit her, the rage that had been building up within herself was beginning to boil, and would not be able to be contained for much longer.

Letting out a shriek of frustration in an attempt to vent some of her ire, Sakura reached for the kunai in her boot so she could cut herself loose. The movement caused the strap of her backpack to loosen, and rise higher over her chest. Ignoring it, she quickly looked down to analyse her situation clearly. The ground was a good couple of feet away, but she was graceful and could easily make a good landing as long as she prepared herself before cutting the wire.

Unable to deal with her backpack which was now moving closer to her face, she unclasped the strap and let it drop to the ground with a loud thud. There wasn't anything that was fragile in there, her medical kit was incredibly sturdy and would easily survive the fall. Refocusing on the task before her, Sakura once again attempted to retrieve the weapon from it's secret compartment, only to find that it was no longer there.

She blinked, once, twice, before her eyes narrowed darkly.

Sakura had been angry before, but now she was absolutely furious.

The next thing she tried was to create chakra blades to cut the wire, but her numerous failed attempts made her realize that the wire was chakra-binding. There was nothing else that could release her, any other sharp objects that had a chance of cutting the wire were in her backpack, which seemingly mocked her from the ground below.

Sakura was stuck, dangling upside down from a tree.

For a few moments she vented her indignation, screaming and flailing her limbs wildly. Eventually she realised that there was no way she was going to be released from her current predicament any time soon, and she couldn't afford to exhaust her energy. So instead she folded her arms across her chest and waited; for what, she didn't exactly know.

It seemed like an eternity went by as she swung ever so slightly in the breeze, her petal-coloured tresses ruffled by the gentle wind. She could feel the blood rushing to her head, and hoped that she would be found soon, even if it was an enemy. She was desperate to have her feet back on solid ground again, and be the right way up.

"…Sakura?"

Her eyes shot open at the sound of the familiar and tentative voice, all her fury returning.

"**You**!" she hissed at Kakashi, who looked rather peculiar upside down in her eyes.

"I do have a name, you know. It's okay to forget, no need to get angry about it." he replied, cocking his head to the side.

"I'm very well aware that you have a name, and I'm pretty sure it's** Bastard**!" she spat back. "Now get me down from here so I can show you just how furious I am!"

"Not exactly an enticing offer…" Kakashi trailed off before sighing, "But I know I can't just leave you here."

Before Sakura could respond, Kakashi pulled out a kunai and threw it just above the pinkette, effectively severing the wire and sending her plummeting to the ground as she hadn't been prepared for her sudden descent. Before she could reach her painful destination however, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her torso and legs, saving her from impact.

Sakura looked up at Kakashi, who was now holding her bridal-style. Her cheeks flushed, and she wished she could see if his own cheeks were growing warm as well, but the mask, as always, was in the way. The stupid piece of material hid the most beautiful face she had ever seen, the one that had been so close to hers last night…

Kakashi dropped her to her feet suddenly, breaking Sakura from her temporary daze. She blinked for a moment, before her emotions once again caught up with her as he relinquished his other arm from her form.

Without warning, she smacked Kakashi on his upper arm. Not with as much strength as she normally would in a fight, but with enough force that it would sting.

"What was that for?" Kakashi exclaimed with surprise, holding his other hand over the large red handprint that was now forming on his arm.

"You _left_ me!" Sakura practically screeched, wincing inwardly as she heard herself. "I woke up and you were _gone_, up and vanished whilst I was sleeping!"

His lone eye narrowed slightly, looking darker than usual.

"Well, you know you shouldn't have been asleep in the first place." he accused her.

"That's not the point!" she retorted, her face turning a peculiar shade of pink that matched her hair.

Kakashi sighed before reaching into his own backpack, pulling out some kind of red material and holding it out to Sakura, causing her to immediately calm down.

"…what's this?" she asked hesitantly, her voice quieter.

"When I woke up this morning, I realized you had fallen asleep. I thought it might be better to let you rest for a little while longer, so I decided to go and find you a top to wear for our trip home, as I'm sure you don't want to be seen so bare." he explained, looking slightly exasperated.

But…you took all your things! And the trap outside the cave…"

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets. "I took them because if I'm going to be attacked randomly, I like to be prepared, and my backpack holds other weapons. And I set the traps in case anyone tried to intrude whilst you were asleep. I honestly didn't think you would have woken up before I returned."

Sakura's features softened as she looked down at the top Kakashi had gotten her, it was almost the same style as Tenten's, except red with a deeper maroon hue around the edges.

She instantly put it on, surprised at how well it fit her petite frame. It certainly felt better to be wearing more clothing again, and she felt more comfortable around Kakashi, who was now avoiding her gaze. She picked up her fallen backpack and brushed the dirt off it before slinging it over her shoulder once more.

"Where to now?" she asked, clasping the strap across her chest.

"Takumi Village. We need to follow up the lead, although I have a feeling it's bogus."

Sakura bit her lip. She hadn't had a chance to tell Kakashi about the children in the hideout, and had avoided doing so because she hadn't conjured up a good explanation as to how she had managed to free them. He was already suspicious of what had happened, as she hadn't been able to give him a good answer to any of his questions about what had occurred before he had caught up with her.

She had to come up with something fast, and it had to be believable.

"Alright then, let's go."

* * *

As the sun rose in the sky, Kakashi and Sakura walked along the dirt road wordlessly. She didn't know what to say to him, not with her mind all over the place, and she had to use this time to come up with a believable story as to what had happened at the hideout. Not that it seemed there was much point, he appeared to have become an expert at reading her, and knew when she was being untruthful. Which gave her more reason to stay away from him completely once they returned to Konoha.

It wasn't long until Takumi Village appeared on the horizon, signalling that Sakura didn't have long left to get her mind under control and conjure up a brilliant plan that would help the situation. Knitting her eyebrows together in an attempt to concentrate, she didn't notice the strange look that Kakashi gave her as he strode alongside her.

As they moved through the lush trees that surrounded the small mass of buildings, Sakura realized that their arrival had already been noticed. Before long, villagers of all ages appeared before them, the younger ones recognizing Sakura and running up to grin happily at her and wrap their small arms around her legs with affection.

"Sakura-san!"

Both Sakura and Kakashi turned their heads in unison to their left, where a teenage boy rapidly approached them, a beaming smile on his face.

"Isamu!" the pinkette called out, pleased to see that he and the other children had returned home safely.

The teenager finally reached the two, ignoring Kakashi completely as he moved to Sakura and threw his arms around her in a tight embrace, catching her off guard. She patted his back, unsure at the sudden gesture, not daring to look at the silver-haired Jōnin as he shot her an incredulous look with his sole eye.

"I never got to thank you properly for saving us." Isamu spoke again as he pulled away from Sakura, who's cheeks flushed slightly as she waved him off.

"It was nothing, really." she protested, but to no avail as Isamu beckoned the older villagers to come closer.

"This is Sakura-san, she's the one who took down the gang and set us free!" he exclaimed joyously, the pinkette hiding her horror at his words.

"I didn't take them down-" she objected, but was cut off by the many cries and shouts of gratitude by the villagers that surrounded her obviously the parents and family members of the children, who danced around happily.

"We just wanted to come by and make sure the children made it home safely." Kakashi spoke up, his voice booming with a deeper, almost authoritative tone, causing the villagers to quieten almost immediately as they attention focused on him.

Sakura meekly glanced over at him, but his gaze was turned away.

"We should continue on home, please, contact Konoha if anything happens again." he continued, before turning away to face the way they had come.

Without warning, he grabbed Sakura's arm and tugged her along, causing her to stumble slightly before she spun around to face him, pulling her arm out of his grasp. She shot him an irritated look, but he didn't look at her, choosing instead to stay silent as he began to walk away.

Sakura watched him for a moment before turning around to face the villagers once more, who were standing in a group, all pairs of eyes turned to her. With a look of regret on her face, she waved a hand in farewell, a small smile gracing her lips as they all returned the gesture before she took in a deep breath and hurried after Kakashi.

* * *

After she finally caught up to the stoic Jōnin, they walked for a while wordlessly until Kakashi suddenly paused and turned to her, his eye narrowing at her with obvious mistrust and curiosity.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." he told her, clearly annoyed.

Sakura gulped, shifting her stance ever so slightly as she dropped her eyes to the ground.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." she muttered.

"Try me."

She sighed.

"You know how, when people find themselves in terrifying situations where they are scared out of their wits, that some experience a sudden adrenaline rush that causes them to do things that they normally couldn't? A temporary increase in strength, a burst of pure genius, for example. I believe that is what I experienced."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her.

Sakura bit her lip before continuing. "I was so scared when I woke up, to find myself dressed only in my underwear, my clothing practically torn from my body. For some reason, they hadn't bound me, and before I knew it, I had managed to take a kunai from one of them. I don't remember clearly what happened after that, suddenly all the men in the room were on the ground and there was blood everywhere."

She looked up at Kakashi, who's eye had widened with shock.

"They were going to rape me, Kakashi. I couldn't let them do that."

Sakura felt incredibly guilty for lying, but tried to tell herself that she was simply bending the truth, which wasn't as bad. Yes, the gang had intended to have their way with her against her will. Had she been scared? Not overly. Yes, there had been some initial fear that they had taken advantage of her whilst she had been unconscious, but once she had concluded that her virginity was still intact, all traces of terror had left her body.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. You should never have been in that situation. I should have protected you." Kakashi murmured suddenly, closing his eye.

The pinkette's guilt intensified.

"We both got through it in one piece, right? Let's not worry about it anymore." she spoke gently, patting his shoulder awkwardly, unsure if it was such a good idea to have any kind of physical contact with him.

Kakashi opened his eye and looked at her, and she could see the creases above his mask that indicated that a smile lay beneath the material, a smile she wish she could see again.

"You're right." he replied, before looking along the dirt road. "Come on, we should keep on going."

As Sakura went to walk beside him, a kunai suddenly flew through the air, landing just in front of her feet, causing her to jump backwards with surprise before her eyes looked around the trees that surrounded them. Another ambush was the last thing they needed, especially as they'd only just managed to escape the last.

Kakashi already had his own kunai in his hand, scanning the area as well before a single shinobi leapt from the trees, landing on the ground nearby. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, it appeared that he had belonged to the gang that had stolen the children, a dreg that had somehow survived. Luckily he seemed to be alone, and therefore not much a threat.

Instantly he noticed the pinkette, baring his decaying teeth at her with a snarl.

"You're the pink bitch who took down Zurui-sama!" he accused her loudly, causing Kakashi to turn his gaze on her.

Sakura threw her hands up in front of her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me girlie. You wiped out the entire gang, killed the boss and made the hide-out collapse, and I'm going to be the one who will make you pay!" he shouted out, rushing towards Sakura.

She ducked down and pulled out the kunai which had been embedded in the earth, but Kakashi had already appeared in front of her, clashing his own weapon against the rouge-nin's.

"You'll have to go through me first." the silver-haired Jōnin grunted, staring down at his opponent, who merely grinned.

"That can be arranged."

Clearly the shinobi had no idea who he was up against, because it took almost no time at all for Kakashi to incapacitate him. Sporting four large wounds in his chest that were bleeding rather profusely, the man looked over at Sakura, managing to spit blood at her, which landed on her cheek, much to her disgust. As she wiped it away, Kakashi kicked the man's head as punishment for his gesture, a sickening crack signalling that his neck was now broken and he was dead.

Kakashi turned to Sakura, who was still furiously rubbing at her cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine." she answered quickly. "Is it gone?"

She removed her hand from her cheek so he could inspect it properly.

"It's gone."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Sakura sighed with relief.

"That man…he said you collapsed the hide-out. When I found you, it had disappeared into the ground. Did you make it collapse?" Kakashi suddenly asked her, his eye turning darker again with suspicion.

"No, I mean, I don't know what happened to it, maybe there was an earthquake?" she spluttered back, caught off-guard with the sudden interrogation.

"There were no earthquakes." he replied tonelessly, before turning away from her and walking off.

Sakura swore at herself. When she'd finally seemed to gain his trust, and come up with a cover-up that seemed believable, she'd gone and ruined it by failing to explain something else. His suspicions had returned yet again, and she was no closer to easing his obvious doubts. Frustrated, she kicked the dead shinobi for good measure, cursing his sudden appearance and his true accusations which had landed her in hot water with Kakashi yet again.

Taking a moment to calm herself, Sakura once again ran after Kakashi, who didn't seem to notice when she caught up to him and matched his stride as she walked beside him. He didn't even look at her, although she couldn't help but sneak brief gazes up at his masked face every so often. The further they walked, the more her heart sank with the realization that Kakashi's mistrust of the pinkette was the end of anything they had shared, the end of any potential there had been for more.

Perhaps it was a good thing, Sakura didn't really know. All she was aware of was how much it hurt.

* * *

"The gates!"

Sakura almost squealed with happiness, after hours of travelling in silence with her exasperating companion, they had finally returned to Konoha. Now all she had to do was return to her room at the inn and stay there until she could go home. Of course, she'd still see Rin and continue her friendship with the brunette, but there was no way she could allow herself to cross paths with the young incarnation of Kakashi again.

He said nothing in response to her exclamation, yet his pace did increase, as did the pinkette's. Soon, they were practically racing to the gates, desperation surrounding them as they attempted to enter the village's walls as quickly as possible. It was already dark, the village lit up by a cornucopia of lanterns and torches, reminding Sakura just how pretty Konoha had once been at nightfall. The illumination seemed to beckon them home, as if a hug of radiant warmth awaited them as they entered the village's walls.

However, as soon as they stepped foot within the gates, they were approached by the two guards, the same ones who had brought Sakura to The Hokage that very first night in this time. She could see that they still remained suspicious of her, their eyes looking over at her and narrowing ever so slightly before they focused their attention on the silver-haired Jōnin beside her.

"Kakashi-san!" they exclaimed in unison, causing him to halt mid-stride, Sakura also stopping.

"Sadao, Naoko, what's wrong?" Kakashi asked with concern, looking between them.

"The Hokage wants to see you." one of them answered, his face looking grave, causing Sakura's stomach to churn slightly before he looked over at her. "Both of you."

Before Sakura could say or do anything in response, Kakashi pushed past the two guards and disappeared into the darkness. She stood still for a moment as her fatigued brain tried to catch up on what had just happened, and before she knew it her feet were moving on their own accord, at a speed she had been avoiding for months that was beyond a simple civilian's capacity.

Kakashi was nowhere to be seen, in his haste he seemed to have forgotten his petal-haired companion and rushed to The Hokage's office, disregarding the roads and using the rooftops of the buildings instead like most shinobi. Sakura couldn't risk being seen leaping around however, her pace was suspicious enough if anyone who knew her in this time was to glimpse a flash of pink, red and black.

Soon enough, she found herself hunched over outside the door that lead to The Third's office, panting heavily. She'd pushed herself too far, having not been able to train at full capacity whilst in the past. Cursing herself inwardly for allowing herself to become so out of shape, she made a mental not to do nothing but train when she returned home. She was one of the finest kunoichi of her village, he last thing she needed was to let Tsunade, and in turn Konoha, down.

Having finally regulated her breathing, she turned the door handle and pushed on the wood gently, knowing she was expected and yet not wanting to interrupt anything. The room was strangely darker than she ever remembered it being, the usually bright lanterns were strangely dim, giving the room an ominous and foreboding aura.

Tentatively she approached the desk that sat on the other end of the room, The Third seated behind it. She couldn't quite bring herself to look at his face just yet, her eyes focused on Kakashi, who was bathed in shadow to the right of the room. He was silent, and hadn't seemed to notice her presence. She couldn't see his visible eye, and had no idea what had happened, but her instincts told her that whatever it was, it was bad.

Finally Sakura tore her viridian orbs from Kakashi's form and focused her attention on The Hokage, who was watching her carefully with darkened eyes. Somehow, he seemed to have aged years since she had last seen him, the oldest he had ever appeared.

Nervousness permeated through her body under his gaze, her heart began to beat harder and louder in her chest. They way The Third looked at her, she knew instantly what he was about to tell her, the regret and sadness in his elderly features clear as day in the dully lit room.

She stepped back slightly, clasping a hand over her mouth as the tears began to sting her eyes.

_No, no, no…_

The Hokage closed his eyes and gave a heavy sigh before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but is my duty to inform you that Nekozuka Rin and her team have been struck down on their mission."

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ The last line took me about an hour to get right. I kept rewriting it, trying to make it sound professional and yet curt at the same time. Next chapter will delve more into what happened, but I wanted that cliffhanger, even though it's not so much one because most of you guessed that she was going to perish anyway. Trying to (somewhat) stick to the manga/anime as much as possible with this story._

_**2.**__ This chapter was written over a few days. I had sooo much difficulty trying to get it right, trying to find the inspiration/motivation to keep writing and attempting to make it a good read. The last chapter was a tough act to follow, hence why I had so much difficulty. _

_**3.**__ Don't fret that the romance has cooled down. Believe me, there is much more to come._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_It's that time again folks! Updating on time (seems like it's been ages since that's happened) because you guys are awesome and I am in an amazing mood today. We reached 500 reviews, which just blows my mind at how much support you have all given this story, and I hope that it continues in the future!_

_I know I keep saying to check out my Tumblr, this time I have two good reasons. Firstly, I posted up a picture of an older Rin, that was the inspiration for Rin in this story. Since this chapter is about Kakashi and Sakura dealing with their friend's death, I thought it was a good time to post it up._

_Secondly, and this is why I'm in a such a great mood, I received my first fanart! It's of Sakura in Chapter One, done by the amazing _modestfashionqueen_, and it's an incredible illustration! So please, go and have a look!_

_I tried to make this chapter as authentic as possible, dealing with grief. I haven't had much experience myself, I did lose my Poppy (grandfather) last year in March and we were incredibly close, however he was sick for months beforehand with cancer and so when he passed away it was more a relief as he was no longer in pain. Of course I was upset and even now I have a breakdown here and there when I miss him terribly and remember he is no longer around, but it wasn't a sudden shock like Rin._

_I'm rambling again. Sorry. I tend to do that. _

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

_"I'm sorry Sakura, but is my duty to inform you that Nekozuka Rin and her team have been struck down on their mission."_

Sakura's eyes immediately moved to her right, to the figure who's face was hidden by shadow. He was unreadable, and she couldn't even begin to fathom how he was feeling, having heard those words. Had he been told before she arrived? She returned her attention to The Third, who continued to observe her with obvious caution, his dark, aged eyes never leaving her own viridian ones..

"So…they've been injured?" she tried weakly, knowing deep-down that was not the case.

The Hokage's aged eyes moved from the pinkette's face and trailed down to his desk.

"They were killed on their mission, Sakura." he spoke again, his words blunt, yet carefully chosen.

As the sentence reached her ears, Sakura felt the pain in her chest grow almost immediately, almost to the point of it being unbearable. Her mind swum with images of the beaming brunette, laughing along with her and smiling, the stinging tears that had begun to build up in the pinkette's eyes now escaping down her pale cheeks in small torrents.

She'd only just seen Rin the morning that they had left for their missions, a mere few days earlier. She'd told Sakura to pursue Kakashi, that she would eventually move on and that he deserve happiness. They'd made plans to catch up once they had both returned to the village. The brunette had given her a kunai for her safety on the mission.

And now she was gone.

Forever.

"How…how did it happen?" the pinkette managed to speak up, her voice thick with emotion.

"It appears the lead to Nadeshiko Village was a trap. Rin and her team boarded a boat to travel across the water to reach the village, but once they reached halfway, they were attacked. Rin was taken out first, a common tactic; killing the medic so they cannot heal their team-mates during the battle. It was a surprise attack, by the time she realized what was going on, it was too late. It seemed that lead was the real deal, but Orochimaru had been waiting for Konoha shinobi to show up." The Third replied, the corners of his lips turning downward in a frown.

"How do you know that it was Rin? The body that was found could be a decoy." spoke the shadows hoarsely, Sakura snapping her head to the right where the words had come from.

With a painful jolt, Sakura realized that Kakashi had now lost his entire squad. His sensei, and both his team-mates, had fallen, leaving him the sole survivor. Sakura couldn't imagine placing herself in his position, the closest she had come was having Sasuke leave the village. Ff she were to lose Naruto, the older incarnation of the silver-haired Jōnin, even Sai, she knew it would destroy her. She'd come close to it several times already, the thought that one day she could be left on her own was too excruciating to bear.

The Third sighed heavily.

"Kakashi-"

"Hideki and Masato weren't found, am I correct?"

"You are correct, however, Rin's body was found, and is currently being transported-"

"Perhaps they weren't taken down, they could have escaped with the real Rin, having used someone else's body as a replacement-"

The Hokage stood up from his desk now, moving over to Kakashi, who hadn't moved from the shadows.

"Kakashi, you know what is required of ANBU when they are mortally wounded. The captain of the boat they were travelling in witnessed the entire thing, as soon as it occurred and he realized what had happened, he turned around and returned to the dock where they had left from. The first thing he did was protect Rin's body from any further incidents, and contacted Konoha. We sent a medic in case anything could be done, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. I'm sorry Kakashi, but she's gone."

Sakura remained silent, the tears continuing to spill forth as the reality of the situation slowly began to sink in. She couldn't understand why it was hitting her so hardly, they were shinobi afterall. Shinobi died all the time, it was their way of life. Many never made it to old age, rarely did anyone die from natural causes. Rin had been so young, and yet, Sakura knew of many who had been younger when death had arrived on their doorstep.

She experienced it all the time, working at the hospital. Patients were lost in front of her, succumbing to illness or injury. Every time it happened, it hurt, knowing that she had tried so hard to save them but to no avail. But this was on an entirely different scale. This was someone she knew, someone who had already been through so much hardship in her young years, someone who did not deserve to be killed for so little reason.

"She can't be gone." Kakashi muttered in denial.

The pinkette wanted nothing more than to move up to her companion and embrace him, comfort him in this sorrowful time. But she knew she had to keep her distance. Things were already strange between them, and they didn't know one another that well in this time. It wasn't her place to be his shoulder to cry on, although she would make it known that the offer was there if he needed. All she could do for now was look to his direction, wishing she could do something to ease his suffering in any way possible.

"She can't be gone." he repeated, this time his voice softer as The Third placed a hand on his back gently.

There seemed to be a sudden shift in the air with this gesture, as Kakashi suddenly turned around quickly, grabbing a nearby bookcase and toppling it over, causing the Hokage to move back suddenly, Sakura also making sure to keep his distance.

"It's not fair!" Kakashi suddenly cried out, followed by the crash of something else falling to the ground before he his focus returned to The Third and he stepped forward.

Her heart going out to him, Sakura's own tears stopped as Kakashi's masked face appeared in the dim light. It was almost as if he had aged years in minutes, his dark orb fathomless with despair and sorrow, and unmistakeable fury. He didn't even seem to notice that she was in the room, his one-eyed gaze focused solely on the older man before him.

"You could have done something!" he shouted loudly, pointing a gloved finger at The Third, who shook his head slowly.

"There was nothing-"

"Why her? Why did she have to be the one who died?"

Kakashi's voice grew louder as the rage seemingly grew within him, his obsidian eye narrowing as the Hokage remained silent.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't let Orochimaru just walk out of the village, he wouldn't have killed Rin!"

Sakura gasped at this accusation, but neither man seemed to have heard it.

"I understand that you are upset Kakashi, but you know well that is not how it happened." the older man spoke calmly, looking up at the silver-haired Jōnin.

"It might as well be!"

With those words, Kakashi swung around and hit the wall, cracks appearing underneath his knuckles, followed by thin rivers of blood. Realizing that he'd just injured himself, Sakura instantly moved over to him, intent on healing his bleeding fingers. But just as she approached him and placed a gently hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, Kakashi swung his hand back, knocking Sakura in the abdomen with enough force that it sent her flying to the floor.

She cried out in shock as she landed, wincing as she collided with the hard wood beneath her. Looking up, she noticed that Kakashi was still facing the wall, he hadn't even turned to look at her or give any indication that he was concerned or apologetic.

Instead, Sakura could only watch with widened eyes as Kakashi suddenly strode across the room, opened the nearby window and jumped out into the night.

The pain in her backside was growing, but it was nothing compared to what she had just witnessed. Having worked in the hospital for many years now, she had experienced the grief of the family and friends of patients who hadn't made it, or had passed away.

The denial came first, the disbelief that a loved one could really be gone forever. Next was the anger, as reality and pain emerged and were too difficult to deal with at once, especially when one was unprepared for them. Bargaining came afterwards, the need to regain control of the situation when helplessness and vulnerability set in. That was followed by depression, when the grief surfaced on a deeper level, deeper than anyone could ever imagine. Finally, there was acceptance, accepting the reality that the loved one had passed on, and that they would have to continue on without them.

The pinkette recalled the time when Jiraiya had been killed by Pein, and how Naruto had reacted when he had heard the news. He had gone through these stages before her very eyes, and while it had been touch-and-go for a while, he'd come out the other side alright. All Sakura could do right now was hope that Kakashi would as well.

"He'll be fine. He just needs time." The Third seemed to have read her thoughts, moving over to her and offering a wrinkled hand.

Sakura said nothing in response, taking his hand as he aided her back to her feet. Once she was standing once more, she moved over to the open window, looking across the darkened village for a moment before closing it. There was nothing anyone could do now. Kakashi had to deal with his grief alone, and if he needed support, he would go and seek it out.

"I can't imagine how he's feeling right now." she commented softly, almost to herself.

"You have never experienced the death of someone close?" The Third mused, returning to his seat behind the wooden desk.

She turned from the window to face the elderly man, her mouth set into a small frown, her usually rosy cheeks stained with dried tears.

"Not personally, no. My grandparents all passed away when I was incredibly young, I don't even remember them. My parents are still alive, as are my friends. The closest I had come to losing someone important to me is when…my team-mate left the village and turned into a completely different person. It felt like he died, although there's still a part of my mind that reminds me that he's still very much alive." she admitted, moving toward the desk.

"It would seem that this is the closest death I have experienced." she added sadly.

The Hokage looked up at Sakura with compassion etched in his wrinkled features.

"Unfortunately, you will experience many more as you grow older. It comes with our line of work; it's only a matter of time before you lose a comrade, whether it be a good friend, your sensei, your team-mate, even your own student. It never gets any easier, but we must keep moving forward to the future in the hope that one day, peace can truly be achieved."

Nodding her head, Sakura understood what the Hokage was saying, but the pain of loss was still strong within her system. It would take her some time to deal with it properly and fully comprehend the situation.

The Third sighed.

"I know this must be difficult for you, especially as you and Rin had grown close recently, and forgive me if I'm being too insensitive, but I would like to know what happened on your mission to Takumi Village. It would ease an old man's mind if at least something good came from all of this." he spoke, his tone hesitant.

Surprised by the sudden change of topic, and yet strangely grateful for it, Sakura stood up straight, her hands behind her back. No matter the circumstances, she always prided herself on being professional. For the moment, she focused on the task at hand, which was giving the Hokage a verbal report.

"The lead we followed was false, it was not Orochimaru as originally thought. However, there was a gang of rogue-nins who had captured the children of Takumi Village with the intent of selling them as personal slaves to the highest payers. Before we could reach the village however, we were ambushed by members of this gang, and we were unfortunately separated."

Leaning forward in his chair, The Third propped his elbows on the next and looked up at Sakura with interest.

"Separated?"

"Kakashi attempted to hide me with a gen-jutsu and then went off to engage the enemy. Unfortunately, I was found, knocked out, and taken to their hide-out. When I came to, they threatened me, but luckily, they had only bound me with ordinary rope. With no-one around to help me and my life on the line, I escaped my bonds and struck them all down."

The Third raised an eyebrow at this statement. "And no-one saw you?"

Sakura shook her head. "Once they were all dead, I located the children and set about healing their injuries. The conditions they had been kept in were disgusting. Once they were free, we made our way to the exit when the leader of the gang stopped me. I told the children to keep going, and fought with the leader. I eventually killed him, but in the process, I also made the hide-out collapse within itself. Luckily I made it out alive, and Kakashi found me. Unfortunately, he noticed the hide-out and the fact that I was covered in blood and questioned me."

"What did you tell him?"

"I didn't tell him the truth, I couldn't. The best I could manage was saying that in a moment of sheer panic I blanked and managed to take a few men out, I never disclosed the actual number. He seemed to believe it, but he's suspicious of me. He's been suspicious of me for months now. I know….I know I can't tell him anything, but it's becoming harder and harder for me to keep my secrets safe when I'm around him." the pinkette admitted, not adding that her continuous lies kept falling apart.

"Perhaps it is best that you no longer spend time with Kakashi." The Third suggested.

Sakura's eyes trailed to the ground. She knew it was best, but it hurt to think that she wouldn't be able to be near him anymore, especially when her feelings for the silver-haired man had begun to develop into something she wasn't yet certain of. Then again, perhaps those feelings would dissipate if there was no longer any interaction between the two. No more arguments, no more suspicions, no more heated kisses in the firelight…

Mentally scolding herself, Sakura knitted her eyebrows together. There was bigger things going on around her at the moment that she needed to focus her attention on . No matter how much of a distraction this conversation with the Hokage had been, it still didn't change the fact that the closest person she had to a best friend in this time was gone and that she needed her own time to grieve properly.

"You're probably right." she whispered softly.

Her mind was all over the place. The news of Rin's death, coupled by Kakashi's behaviour and everything that had occurred on the mission between them was causing havoc on her thoughts. Sakura was surprised she was currently managing to be coherent. The tiredness and fatigue she felt also didn't help, they had been travelling all day to get back to the village as soon as possible.

Perhaps if they knew what had been awaiting them, they would have slowed their pace.

"You've had a long day, and I apologize for having kept you. Thank you for explaining what happened to me. You are free to go now, Sakura." The Third spoke up, causing the pinkette's eyes to move back to his aged features.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." she bowed slightly out of respect, before quickly turning and leaving the room.

* * *

Sakura quietly made her way into her small room, closing the door gently behind her. It was early morning now, still dark outside as the sun had not yet risen. Somehow, the darkness seemed fitting for the moment, and Sakura made no move to turn on the light, preferring to stay in the shadows for now.

She felt strangely numb, emotionally, mentally, physically. Her mind swirled with an array of blurred thoughts and visions, but she hadn't taken the time to make sense of them. The walk to her temporary home had seemed to take an eternity as she wandered down the dark and empty streets, wondering vaguely where Kakashi was. She saw no sign of him on her journey, figuring he must have been dealing with his grief away from prying eyes.

Looking around the room, Sakura had no idea what she was supposed to do. What happened now? Was she simply supposed to return to her daily routine as if nothing had happened? Although she hadn't known Rin all that long, in the short time they had been friends, they had become quite close. Whilst her best friends were Naruto and Ino, Sakura had felt that she and Rin certainly had more in common, they had been kindred spirits.

She knew that eventually their friendship would end, when Sakura returned to her own time. She'd had no idea that it would come so suddenly, so tragically.

With a strong pang of guilt, the pinkette remembered that she had originally been placed on the squad to Nadeshiko Village with Hideki and Masato. If Sakura hadn't lied about being a civilian, if Kakashi hadn't spoken up and demanded that she and Rin switch teams so he could look after her, then she would have died instead.

It was her fault that Rin was dead.

Sakura being in the past had altered the course of the future, drastically. If she hadn't arrived, Rin would have been placed with Kakashi and would have survived the mission, and had most likely been an older woman living a happy life somewhere in Sakura's time.

With this realization, she sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes trained on her knees as her vision blurred, the tears coming thick, fast, unstoppable.

Sakura's petite hands moved upwards to cover her face as she let out a small wail, unable to control herself, The grief and guilt washed over her small frame like tsunamis, her sobbing growing louder and more intense with each passing second. The world around her disappeared, for the moment, the pinkette was in her own space of sorrow and despair, and succumbed to it, tears tormenting down her alabaster skin, dropping to her knees and the wooden floor below.

Time was lost, she had no idea how much had passed when the tears began to subside, her mind slowly beginning to clear once more. It was still dark outside, but the sky was beginning to lighten ever so slightly, indicating that the sun was well on it's way to rise up and bring a new day.

Wiping her eyes messily with the back of her hand, Sakura felt exhausted. However, before she could sleep, she needed to shower, and desperately. There was no way she was going to get her clean sheets filthy yet again, echoing her first night in this time.

Gathering her thoughts, Sakura reached down and undid her boots, sliding them off before she unsteadily rose to her feet. She took a step towards the bathroom, taking off her top in the process, the one Kakashi had bought her on their mission. However her mind was far from that memory, the red material quickly discarded on the floor, soon followed by her tights, bra, and eventually, underpants.

She clambered into the shower, not daring to glance at the mirror which she knew held a gruesome reflection of puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. Turning the handles, cold water instantly hit her skin, rousing Sakura from her sorrowful stupor.

Too tired to think anymore, the pinkette simply went through the motions - washing the grime and dirt from her body, shampooing her petal-coloured tresses before conditioning them. Then the final rinse, and the water is turned off.

She hadn't bothered with the hot water tap, the cold had kept her alert enough to keep from falling asleep. Now that she was finished with her shower however, the need for rest kicked in once again.

Exiting the shower and locating her towel. Sakura quickly dried herself before making her way back to her bed. She was too fatigued to deal with clothes, and she doubted that anyone would enter the room whilst she was asleep. She doubted her lone intruder would attempt to climb in through the window, she had no idea if she would even see him again.

Dropping the towel to the floor where it was met by her dirty clothes, Sakura lay down and covered herself the with sheets. Instantly her eyelids grew heavy, and within a matter of minutes, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Sakura's eyes shot open, strangely alert for someone who had just been woken up. Her head was banging, it was all she could hear, and took her a moment to realize that the noise was actually coming from the other side of her door.

It was still dark, which surprised the pinkette, when she'd fallen asleep, she could have sworn the sun had begun to rise. The only logical explanation was that she had slept through the entire day, and it was now night again.

Which made her even more curious to discover who was still knocking at her door.

"I'll be there in a minute!" she called out, surprised at how husky and hoarse her voice had become.

However, there was no time for Sakura to dwell on this, instead she leapt out of bed, quickly donning her black tights and maroon top, forgoing her undergarments. The quicker she dressed, the sooner she could answer the door, and find out the identity of her mysterious visitor.

It was mostly likely an ANBU, asking her to see the Hokage, or the owner of the inn, coming to ask why she had been so loud the previous night, or to inform her of noise complaints. Either way, she could always excuse herself and redress with her underpants and bra before having to go anywhere.

Running a hand through her slightly wavy locks, the result of going to sleep with wet hair, Sakura turned the handle, mustering the best smile she could.

"How can I help yo…"

Sakura's words trailed off as her viridian gaze met that of a single orb of pure midnight.

"…Kakashi?"

He looked awful, and it made her heart pain to see him in such a state. His mask covered most of his sorrowful features, but the pain and grief in his sole eye was enough to make her want to weep uncontrollably. He appeared to have been crying for hours, and it seemed evident that he'd had no sleep. Sakura was happy to see him, although saddened by the circumstances and confused as to why he had appeared.

His eye tore away from her and moved to the ground.

"Can…can I come in?"

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ Once again, I researched for this chapter. The Kübler-Ross model was incredibly helpful, giving me the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Hopefully I did a good job with Kakashi experiencing denial and anger. The rest will follow soon._

_**2.**__ This chapter is slightly shorter, and I apologize. It didn't really fit in with the previous chapter, and the next one is most likely going to have more than enough in it without having these scenes too. Hence why it needed to be it's own, sad chapter. Poor Rin._

_**3.**__ Next chapter will probably be one of the most important in the entire story. You may need a fan beside you, or for those of you who live in the northern hemisphere, perhaps a few trips outside should help? The next few chapters are going to be huge, now we're coming to the crux of the story. This is where it's all been leading up to._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	17. Chapter 17

_Early update because I love you all._

_I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Or at least try._

_Quickly, I just wanted to let you guys know that I was lucky enough to have yet another illustration created for this story by the incredible _modestfashionqueen_; this one is based on the scenes in chapters four and five, of Sakura realizing she had been kissed by an inebriated Kakashi, Rin having appeared and completely unaware of what had happened. Links to both artworks will be listed in my profile, please go and take a gander!_

_That being said, we can dive right back in to the story. Hold on to your chairs guys and gals, we are going for a ride. Please keep your arms and legs inside the carriage at all times._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Sakura was rendered momentarily speechless.

She hadn't been expecting Kakashi to seek her out at all, in fact, she'd been under the impression that he would steer clear of her from now on. Yet here he was, standing before her in the doorway, asking to be let into her room.

Her conversation with the Hokage the night before replayed on her mind, the elderly man had suggested that it would be a good idea for the pinkette to avoid Kakashi, and no longer spend time with him. Sakura knew deep down that he was right, that any further interaction with the silver-haired man was a step closer in the disastrous direction, but as she looked at him, the fathomless emotion that could not be hidden in his obsidian orb, she found herself stepping backwards, allowing him the space to enter through the doorway.

Wordlessly he did so, Sakura closing the door gently behind him. Unsure of how to proceed, she moved over to the light switch so they could have brighter illumination than the dull moonlight that filtered through the windows, the curtains having been left open.

However, before she could flick the switch, Kakashi spoke once more.

"Don't. Please."

Sakura moved away from the light switch, unable to find her voice just yet. She hadn't made a sound since uttering his name in surprise when she had discovered him on her doorstep, and wasn't exactly sure what to say. Once she found out just why he had come to her, then she'd be able to make some sense of the situation, assess it and then figure out a way to improve it.

Unfortunately, very little made sense these days when she was around the eighteen-year old incarnation of Hatake Kakashi.

The man himself made his way over to her bed, sitting down on the edge of it, his back slumped, his face downwards, hidden by his silver locks that were the colour of moonlight. Sakura took the time to have a good look at her companion, she noticed that his hitai-ate and gloves were missing from his outfit, as was his armour. Kakashi was dressed only in his sleeveless shirt with attached mask, his standard issue pants and boots.

The pinkette found herself curious to discover what had transpired for Kakashi over the past day, where he had gone, what he had done. The last time she had seen him had been in the Third's office, the Jōnin had knocked her onto the floor before disappearing through the window in a rage. Luckily, it seemed he had calmed down considerably since then.

She mentally went through the five stages of grief in her head, and wondered which stage he was currently experiencing.

Moving over to the bed, Sakura carefully sat beside him, ensuring that there was a good space between them. She was unaware of how Kakashi was currently feeling towards her, it seemed to change one minute to the next. The last she knew, he was annoyed at her, but then again, he had every right to be. She hadn't been truthful with him, but for good reasons which he could never know.

It was just one giant mess, and Sakura was fearful that she was close to drowning within it.

"I came to apologize for hitting you earlier." Kakashi spoke up suddenly, his voice low and hoarse, thick with unspoken emotions that cause the pinkette beside him to shiver slightly.

"No harm done." she managed to reply, trying to keep her tone light but failing miserably.

Kakashi turned to face her, his sole eye transfixed on her face, her own viridian orbs detecting the immense guilt within the midnight depths.

"There's no excuse for hurting you. I just…I lost control over myself, I couldn't think, I just reacted…" he trailed off, his gaze dropping to the bed.

Sakura frowned.

"There was no malicious intent, it's fine Kakashi." she reassured him once more, feeling the need to touch him in a sympathetic gesture but refraining from doing so.

Now that he had achieved his purpose for coming and seeing her, Sakura found herself anxious as to what would happen next. Would he rise from the bed, stride to the door, walk through the threshold and proceed to keep his distance? She found herself hoping that this would not occur. His presence was strangely comforting, despite the condition he was currently in.

She opened her mouth to speak, to say anything that could cut the growing silence between them, but Kakashi beat her to the punch.

"To be honest…I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. All I know is that it's as if there's a giant hole in my chest which has been growing smaller over the years, but now it's gaping open, and I don't know if I can close it." he explained, running a hand through his thick silver mane.

"Loss can be a difficult thing to cope with. Everyone experiences it differently. Some never recover. All you can do is try and get through it, one day at a time." Sakura offered, the medic within taking over.

"I stupidly believed that over time, it would get easier to live without those I cared about. Rin was my biggest support, she'd felt those losses with me. But now…now she's gone too. They're all gone. My parents, my entire squad. They've all left me here to try and go on without them, and I'm not so sure that I can."

As Kakashi spoke, Sakura could feel the tears beginning to build up, but refused to let them fall. Right now, she had to be strong for the silver-haired man, just as he had been for her on many occasions, both in her own time and this one. If she broke down as well, she wouldn't be able to give Kakashi the support he needed. Even if he wasn't aware of it.

She said nothing in response, choosing instead to simply listen as Kakashi continued.

"Last night, I didn't know what to do. I just ran, for hours, my legs moving on their own. It was almost as if I was running from the truth of everything, refusing to acknowledge that it had happened. I couldn't think, my mind just seemed acting on it's own. The next thing I knew, I found myself at the Fire Temple. The monks tried their best to console me, but to no avail. Instead they left me in peace, and I began to start negotiating with some kind of higher power in a desperate attempt at bringing Rin back."

He chuckled bitterly, causing Sakura's frown to reappear. She was aware that it must have been difficult for Kakashi to open up with her, especially as he didn't trust her. She couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't gone to one of his friends in this time, such as Gai or even Genma. But she didn't have the time to think about it further as her companion spoke up again.

"I guess…in a funny way, she can finally be with Obito, they can be together, just as they ought to have been."

Sakura found herself nodding in agreement. "I'm sure wherever they are, they are happy."

Kakashi's head snapped up to look at her, almost as if he had forgotten that she had been sitting next to him the entire time he had been speaking. His gaze met hers, and she could tell that he was struggling internally, noticing the moisture that was slowly beginning to build up in his obsidian orb. Her own eyes widened, she never seen her sensei weep in all the years they had known one another, nor anything close to it. In fact, she'd believed that the emotion known as sorrow did not affect him as it did most others.

However, it seemed she was about to be proven wrong.

"Obito…before he died, be told me to protect her, and I swore to him that I would. I honestly thought I could keep her safe from harm, that nothing would happen." he whispered, his voice wavering. "What kind of person am I, what calibre of friend must I be if I can't keep a promise? He died protecting me, his only request was one that I should have been able to fulfil, but now Rin's gone and I have broken that oath!"

Kakashi's voice rose with the last word that left his masked lips, and suddenly, the barrier broke. Tears began to escape both his eyes, the open midnight orb and the closed crimson sharingan, streaking down the exposed parts of his face before disappearing into the dark material of his mask. He looked away from Sakura, who couldn't help as her own silent tears fell, the sight before her causing her heart to ache.

The silver-haired Jōnin suddenly reached both hands up and tugged down his mask, taking in a deep breath as his mouth became uncovered, the material becoming too much for him as he wept. Sakura couldn't help but inhale deeply at the sight of Kakashi's bare face before her sight once more, but knew it was not time to dwell on the handsome marvel that was her companions features.

Internally, she was a complete wreck. Kakashi was obviously devastated by the death of Rin, and Sakura was flooded by the guilt that seeped through her system as she watched the tears than continued to flow down his exposed cheeks. Her mind returned to the conclusion she had reached the night before - that it should have been herself in Rin's position, that it should have been herself to perish on the mission, not the brunette. If only she'd been truthful with him and explained her situation, that she was actually a ninja, things would have turned out differently, they way they were supposed to.

"I'm so, so sorry Kakashi. This is all my fault." she cried, staring at the hands that sat in her lap, unable to look at him.

"What do you mean?" he replied hesitantly, reaching his hands up to wipe his still weeping eyes.

"It should have been me instead of Rin. She was supposed to be on the mission with you. If I wasn't…if I weren't just a stupid civilian, you wouldn't have requested the swap, and she would still be alive." Sakura managed, managing to keep the truth to herself.

Instantly Kakashi's hand flew to the pinkette's chin, manoeuvring her head so she was now facing directly at him, her eyes hesitantly rising to meet with his own.

"This is not your fault, Sakura. I blame myself too, but in the end, it really was no-one's fault. It's just one of those things that happens in our line of work, sadly. The danger of being taken down is always there when we leave for a mission, no matter how insignificant it is."

"But I…"

He moved a finger across Sakura's lips, hushing her.

"I don't think I could have beared to have lost you either."

His admission caused her heart to quicken it's pace, her eyes widening. After everything that had transpired between them, she'd had absolutely no idea where she had stood with him. One minute he was accusing her of being suspicious, the next they had been exchanging heated kisses. Her relationship with Kakashi in this time never seemed to make any kind of sense or go in a straight line. Instead it gave her a headache every time she thought about it.

In fact, Sakura was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that Kakashi's face had slowly moved towards her own until she felt his hot breath fan across her face, his mouth barely an inch away from her own. Her chest began to pound loudly with the realization of what was about to happen, her mouth begin to salivate and her palms growing sweaty.

Instinctively, the pinkette closed the gap between them and softly brushed her lips against Kakashi's. It was a soft, gentle caress, the only touching shared between them at that moment. Her companion responded instantly, slanting his mouth against hers once more. The kisses between them soon grew less gentle and more heated, and yet Sakura could feel the difference between this and their heated exchange in the cave a few days previous.

That kiss had been all about passion and desire, the sexual tension between them both being expelled in those tender moments. This time, however, she could sense yearning from Kakashi, a need to be connected with her, to embrace her, to kiss her. She wove a hand into his moonlight locks as his own snaked around her waist, pulling her onto his lap and closer to his own body.

The pinkette pressed herself against him, remembering that this time they were both properly clothed. She missed the scorching from his skin pressed up against her own, the exchange of heat which had once again ignited within her body, her skin tingling with the sensation. All she wanted that moment was to be as close to Kakashi as possible.

Soundlessly she broke apart from Kakashi, missing his lips immensely once they were separated from her own. She found herself out of breath, panting in unison with the silver-haired man before her, who shot her a questioning look. Finding no time to explain, Sakura hands travelled down Kakashi's chest, finding the hem of his shirt which she then tugged, indicating to him that the dark material had to go. He quickly caught on and raised both arms, aiding the pinkette as she pulled the shirt up and over his head before throwing it unceremoniously onto the floor.

They both watched as it hit the wood and lay discarded, before returning their attention to one another. Sakura felt no need for words, and it seemed that Kakashi felt the same. She moved a hand to his chest, taking her time to feel the muscles properly beneath her petite fingers, his skin scorching the palm of her hand. Her breath hitched as she reached his abdomen, the desire to continue trailing her hand downwards startling her.

Kisses were one thing, but that was on a whole other level.

She didn't have much more time to contemplate however, as Kakashi leaned forward and captured her lips once more with insistence. His hands travelled to her back, pushing her forward so that their chests were pressed against one another, his bare, hers clothed. The sudden closeness caused a strange sensation to wash over her body that seemed to tingle in her crotch, a pleasant and yet aching feeling that both confused and excited the pinkette.

The kisses grew deeper, Kakashi nipping at her lips sensually, causing Sakura to let out little gasps of pleasure, which seemed to entice him to continue. His tongue delved into her mouth, finding the fleshy pink muscle that lay within, entwining and exploring. She responded eagerly, desperate to taste him, causing the Jōnin to moan deeply into her mouth, a breathy, baritone moan that caused the heat in her groin to rise.

One of his hands moved suddenly from her back, reappearing on her chest, as Kakashi tentatively cupped one of her clothed breasts. When Sakura made no sign of halting his progress, he squeezed tighter, earning himself a throaty gasp. His lips suddenly left hers, causing the petal-haired girl to almost whine with protest, but when his kisses moved down to her throat, she gave no more protests. His fingers on her breast were firm yet gentle, caressing the flesh there as his lips moved across the sensitive skin to her collarbone.

Kakashi's thumb then moved across her nipple, causing Sakura to jolt on his lap from the sudden erotic touch, her hands grasping at his silver mane. He repeated the action a second time, the pinkette biting her lip to stifle the moan that threatened to escape her throat. It felt so good, better than she could have ever imagined, and yet at the same time there was a small part of her brain that was screaming at her that what they were currently doing would lead to other, more dangerous things, and that if she was smart, she would back out now.

Two fingers moved together and pinched the now pert nipple, and all thoughts of stopping were lost as Sakura's grasp on Kakashi's hair tightened and she let out a low, breathy whimper.

Suddenly Kakashi moved her off his lap and returned her to the bed, removing his hands from her chest and back as he stood up, causing Sakura to look up at him with wide eyes, the sting of rejection beginning to dampen the fire that had been raging in the pit of her stomach.

What had happened this time? Once again, he'd been the initiator, and the one to put it to a stop. But why? She couldn't understand, things had been going well…

Kakashi reached down and wordlessly slipped off his boots, leaving him clad only in his dark blue pants. Sakura observed him carefully, not missing the fiery glint that sparkled in his lone eye when he returned his gaze to her once more, before moving back to the bed and resuming his position.

Relief washed over the pinkette's body, quickly followed by the rush of the desire, passion and yearning she'd been feeling only moments later. She edged closer to him, feeling the need for his lips to once again join with her own, but it seemed Kakashi had other plans. His hands moved to the bottom of her top, tugging in a similar fashion to her own gesture earlier.

Sakura's cheeks flushed crimson as she recalled not having dressed herself in a bra, meaning that once her top was gone, her naked torso would be exposed to him. She hesitated momentarily, knowing that once the maroon material was gone, there was no going back for them both. They could not simply be friends once they crossed the threshold, no, they would become something more.

And with that though, Sakura raised her arms so that Kakashi could slide the top up and over her head, tossing it to the ground where it met his own clothing.

He stared at her for what felt like hours, seemingly taking in every detail of her bare chest that he could. Sakura sat awkwardly, unsure of what would happen next and half tempted to fold her arms and hide her exposed breasts. But there was nothing in Kakashi's eye that insinuated that she should be embarrassed or nervous around him, all she could see in the obsidian orb was pure, undiluted lust.

His hand moved to splay across her back once more, and she revelled in the heat that radiated from his fingers. Gently, he pushed her down onto the mattress so that she lay underneath him before he leaned down and slanted his lips against hers, caressing and soft, before he moved downwards once more, leaving a trail of kisses across her scorching skin.

His mouth reached her clavicle before it swiftly continued downwards. Sakura's breath hitched once more in her throat as he reached the tightened bud, his breath fanning across her skin before he carefully closed his mouth over it, hot and wet at the same time.

As his teeth grazed the sensitive flesh, Sakura felt her back arch up slightly as she moaned loudly, unable to control herself. Instantly she clapped a hand over her mouth as his tongue rolled across the nipple, her body reacting yet again, the cry muffled behind her fingers. Her noises appeared to have spurned Kakashi on, his free hand moving to her other breast, caressing the puckered bud there between his fingers in rhythm with his tongue and teeth.

Sakura's hand flew from her mouth to grasp the back of Kakashi's head, the need to touch him in any way possible intensifying with each passing second. He paused for a moment from the sudden contact, before she felt his lips on her chest, moving up her collarbone and over her neck, on the tip of her chin. She moved her head to look up at him, lifting her head up slightly as she waited to feel his mouth against hers once more.

Kakashi's lips crashed against her own and the pinkette rejoiced, unaware of the hand that travelled from her breast downwards, trailing across her flat stomach before it came across the waistband of her tights. He paused there and tore his mouth from Sakura's, leaning back slightly so that he could look at her properly. He said nothing, but his eye asked the question; if she okay with what was about to happen.

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, heat rising to her cheeks. She was a virgin and had not really thought all that much about sex, despite the fact that most of her friends spoke about it constantly. She'd always figured that once she was in a stable, committed relationship, she'd give it a proper ponder then. Of course, she'd never foreseen that anything like this would ever occur.

And yet, it strangely felt so right.

She gave Kakashi no verbal answer, instead pulling his face down so that their lips could meet again. He registered this as approval, his fingers edging their way into the material as he cautiously slipped his hand down, his eyebrows raising when he realized she had also foregone her underpants.

"Don't ask." Sakura managed to breathe, the first words spoken since they had begun this desire-driven encounter.

And ask he did not, his hand delving deeper, slower, where his fingertips were met with slickness. He experimentally reached out one finger and scraped the pad of it across the soaking bundle of nerves that practically ached for his touch, causing the pinkette to arch up once more beneath him, a whimper escaping past her lips against his own. Sakura hadn't realized just how turned on she had been until that point, the fire in her groin was almost at scorching point.

He began to stroke, each move bolder than the last as he seemingly grew more confident. Sakura was aware that like herself, Kakashi was a virgin, and therefore had never actually done this before. Yet his instincts seemed to be right on the mark, everything he did was glorious. She could feel herself becoming worked up, her skin tingling with an amazing sensation that she'd never come close to experiencing before. Sakura tilted her head back and closed her eyes, overwhelmed with the carnality and as he slowly sank one digit into her cleft, she couldn't help the pleasurable scream that escaped her throat.

His finger was shortly joined by another, Sakura feeling a small ache of pain as her vaginal walls were not accustomed to dealing with such capacity. But it soon faded, overtaken by the bliss that washed over her body as Kakashi rhythmically slid them in and out of her wetness, Sakura letting out moans as he began to quicken his pace. Her breath began to shorten, her sex practically throbbing.

Then his fingers disappeared, his hand removing itself from her pants, only to move back to the waistband of them and start tugging down. The pinkette reached down and aided him, lifting her backside off the bed so that the material could be pulled down over her rear, down her milky thighs and calves before they pooled at her ankles. Sakura gave one swift kick and her tights were projected in the air momentarily before they fell to the floor, leaving her completely bare.

Once again, Kakashi stopped and took in the sight before him. Sakura no longer feeling embarrassed under his studious gaze. She could tell that he liked what he was seeing, but her patience was growing thin and she needed him, right there and then, and she would wait no moment longer.

She glanced down at his own pants as her fingers moved to the sides, hooking around the waistline before delicately manoeuvring them down his hips. Kakashi then covered her hands with his one and took over the procedure, and within seconds Sakura was met with the sight of his naked arousal, her mouth gaping as she took in the sheer size of his member, momentarily panicking that it wouldn't fit inside her.

Her thoughts were broken off as Kakashi threw his pants over the side of the bed and rejoined her, this time positioning himself between Sakura's thighs as he hovered above her. One of his hands moved to grasp the back of her head, the other splayed across the mattress by her hip, propping himself up. She bent her knees to accommodate him better, one hand moving to explore the muscles beneath the skin there, the other moving to the nape of his neck.

Kakashi's lips descended upon hers again, the fire within her body intensifying once more. Sakura wasn't sure how much longer she could wait, pressing herself against him as much as possible in an attempt to convey the message. She could feel his hardness against her thigh, sending shivers of excitement through her body.

He broke away from her, moving his face away slightly so that she could look up at him properly. His cheeks were flushed, his skin covered in a sheen of perspiration. There was no mistaking the passion and desire in his obsidian orb, which no doubt matched that within her own viridian ones.

The corners of Sakura's lips quirked upwards in a small smile, causing Kakashi to let out a contented sigh.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

And with that, he moved his hips forward, his tip venturing into her slick, wet folds, slowly and deliberately. Sakura let out a soft whimper of pain, the burning sensation quickly becoming more painful. She grit her teeth and clamped her eyelids shut as Kakashi continued to push his length inside her, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. It hurt, and she knew it was going to hurt, but there was no way she was going to back out now.

"Are you okay?" he whispered above her, causing the pinkette's eyes to shoot open.

There was concern in his features, apprehensiveness. She frowned, knowing how important this moment was to him, to both of them. She craved to see a smile on his lips, his eyes closed with pleasure. She wanted him to enjoy this, above all else.

"I'm fine, trust me. The pain should die down shortly." she breathed in response, reaching up and meeting his lips.

With that, Kakashi pulled back slightly before thrusting into her, gently, cautiously. The pain had not subsided, instead it seemingly grew as her walls expanded to make room for her lover's girth. He repeated the action, each time his thrusts going in with just a little more force, his rhythm increasing. The pain and discomfort Sakura was experiencing faded with each thrust, spirals of gratification once again taking over as he pressed himself against her, his breathing becoming more rapid as he picked up speed.

She wrapped her legs around his hip, locking her ankles together above his backside. The movement caused him to moan loudly as he entered even deeper within her, and they began to move together, mouths moving across one another's as he pulsed faster, more insistent. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her body, almost to the point of overwhelming her. Her vision felt as if it were dimming, the world crashing down around her, she'd never experienced anything so intense and extreme.

Her climax rocked through her body suddenly, causing her to writhe and shudder underneath her silver-haired lover as she let out a shrill cry of pure ecstasy. It was only mere seconds later that Kakashi let out a loud, rumbling moan of his own, Sakura feeling her core exploding with a shocking intensity as she felt him come inside her.

She held him close as he released himself, both panting heavily in unison. Pressing a soft kiss against his slightly swollen lips, she breathed a sigh of contentment, causing Kakashi's face to break out into the crooked smile she had seen days earlier and fallen in love with. He rolled over beside her, making sure to pull himself out of her gently, knowing the pain she had experienced.

"Wow." she couldn't help but breathe, sneaking a look over to Kakashi, who was now laying on his back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"I know." he replied simply.

The air around them was thick with the pungent aroma of sex, reminding them both of what had just transpired between them. Sakura was in a state of shock and awe, she was having difficulty believing that it had actually happened, that she and Kakashi had just been intimate with one another, the closest a human could be with another.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it however, as Kakashi rolled himself off the bed and to his feet before making his way towards the bathroom. The pinkette watched him leave, finding herself missing his presence already. She guessed he had gone to clean himself up, and judging by the amount of fluid, both his and her own, that trailed down her thighs, she would need to shortly as well.

He emerged into her sight once more, noticing instantly that she was observing him. His cheeks flushed pink, and Sakura couldn't help but chuckle lightly before he reached for his discarded pants, stepping into them before sliding them upwards and over his hips.

Sakura found herself pouting slightly. She had no idea what came next, was he supposed to go home now? Was this a one-time thing, or would it be happening more regularly?

"Why don't you stay the night?" the words escaped her lips before she had the chance to stop them.

Kakashi paused, holding his shirt in one hand.

"I'd love to." he said softly, the material dropping from his fingertips to the floor once more.

Sakura sat up from the bed and rose to her feet, wobbling slightly as she became unbalanced. She grasped the bed-head to stabilize herself, noticing the look of concern on Kakashi's face as he held a hand out towards her.

"I'm fine." she assured him, a smile gracing her lips before she turned and shakily made her way to the bathroom.

A few minutes later she returned to the room, noticing that her silver-haired companion had already crawled into the bed and seemingly fallen asleep. Finding her underpants she quickly slipped them on and moved over to the inviting mattress, her moves slow and careful as to not rouse Kakashi from his slumber.

It seemed she needn't have bothered, as soon as her head hit the pillow and she relaxed her body, he rolled over towards her, one arm wrapping itself against her waist, his head moving to the pillow beside her, his lips grazing across her cheek.

"Night Sakura."

"Goodnight, Kakashi."

* * *

The sunlight that burst through the exposed windows woke Sakura the next morning, causing her to blink rapidly as her eyes attempted to adjust to the sudden bright light that permeated through her corneas. She grumbled softly, annoyed at having been stirred from an amazing dream…

The weight of something draped across her stomach caught Sakura's attention, and she looked down to see that it was an arm. Not just any old arm either, no, this one seemed to be attached to the silver-haired Jōnin who was snoring softly beside her, completely unaware at the explosion that was occurring inside his companions mind.

Sakura's eyes almost burst out of their sockets. Her dream hadn't been a dream at all, no, it had been reality. She'd lost her virginity to Kakashi, in an amazing night of passion and ecstasy. She knew it to be true, and yet her mind couldn't seem to fathom that such a thing had happened. There were thoughts that screamed at her, telling her that it was wrong, but the pinkette happily ignored them, focusing on the contentedness that settled into her system.

Carefully manoeuvring herself out from under Kakashi's arm without waking him, Sakura slipped out of the bed and tip-toed to the bathroom, collecting a fresh set of clothing as she did so before closing the door behind her.

She'd found herself too exhausted the night before to have a shower, but now seemed like the perfect time. Once she was clean and ready to face the day, once Kakashi was awake, they could finally figure out what the go was between them. Sakura didn't want it to be a one-time thing. Not when she'd felt so right pressed against him, connecting with him in such a way that made her feel so safe and secure. She wanted more, and hoped that he did too.

Firstly though, she needed to clean herself up.

Twenty minutes later she stepped out of the bathroom, washed, dried and dressed, and happily noticed that her companion had awoken, and was dressed himself, sitting on the edge of the bed. A beaming smile broke out onto her face as she caught sight of him, feeling as if her breath had been taken away. He looked more beautiful than she could remember, even with the material that covered his face once more.

"Good morni…"

Sakura's cheery greeting trailed off as her eyes caught sight of the object Kakashi held in his hands. Horror coursed through her system as she recognized the item, the maroon hue of the material, the glint of the metal and the engraved insignia that the Jōnin was tracing over with the pad of his thumb.

He was holding her hitai-ate.

At the sound of her voice, Kakashi's head snapped up, his sole eyed gaze meeting hers, the look on what was visible of his face full of absolute ire. His eyebrows narrowed at her, the warmth she had experienced from him the night previous a distant memory from the cold harshness she was feeling now.

He held the hitai-ate up towards her, glancing at it quickly before returning his stare back to the pinkette.

"What is this?"

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ I hate writing sex scenes. I'm 24 and not ashamed to admit that I'm no longer a virgin, and yet I still find them incredibly awkward as hell to write. Is it just me? Am I just weird? Most likely._

_**2.**__ I hope you guys enjoyed it, I honestly can't tell if it's good or bad. I keep lulling myself into this sense of security that I'm good at writing sex scenes, until the time actually comes and then I struggle like all hell. I do know that I tried my best to make it tasteful and not full-out porn. Hopefully I've succeeded._

_**3.**__ Told you interesting things were going to happen! First they finally come together, only to have Sakura under the spotlight yet again. Poor Kakashi, every time he gives in and allows himself to trust her, she goes and breaks it. Unwillingly, of course, but that can't be easy on our favourite copy-cat nin. Guess we will just have to wait and see how Sakura will get out of this one, what repercussions she will face from having Kakashi discover her forehead protector. 'Til next time! Dun dun dun!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	18. Chapter 18

_Late update, I know, and I apologize profusely. I had a lot of issues and found it challenging to write. Luckily today I found inspiration in watching movies and receiving yet another wonderful illustration by _modernfashionqueen_ for Chapter Six, which once again is amazing. The link is on my profile, please go and have a look!_

_The response to the last chapter was HUGE! And now we are over 600 reviews! That's insane, and amazing. You guys are incredible and I just want to thank you all for sticking with me and this crazy story that I love sharing with you._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Sakura's mind had gone completely blank.

She had frozen to the spot, unable to tear her eyes away from her hitai-ate which was firmly grasped in Kakashi's hand. It was an object that was served to provoke fear in her enemies as she battled them, but now it was causing her heart to beat quicker and her palms to become sweaty - she was the one who was now experiencing fear.

"What is this?" Kakashi repeated, his fury in his voice growing more prominent.

It had been hidden, kept away secret and safe, away from prying eyes. But he'd found the hitai-ate - the one person who above all else should not have discovered it at any cost. Sakura had been forced to lie to the silver-haired Jōnin time and time again to protect him from the exceptional truth, to the point where it had been difficult for her to earn his trust and become closer to him.

Last night, they finally jumped over that hurdle together. Now what they had shared had been shattered, all by a metal plate attached to a strip of crimson material.

"Where…where did you find that?" she eventually managed to speak, her voice softer than it's usual tone.

Kakashi stood up, his lone eye darkening with each passing moment as he glared at her.

"That's not the issue right now."

"I…I can explain…"

He laughed, the tone so bitter that it caused the pinkette to wince.

"I've heard that before. I don't have time for more of your lies, Sakura…if that even is your real name. This is a Konohagakure hitai-ate, only given to those who have graduated from this village's shinobi academy after years of learning and training. As a newcomer, I very much doubt that happened to you, so there's only one possible explanation - you have stolen this, most likely to blend in with our forces and infiltrate the village. Am I correct?"

Sakura shook her head furiously, tears stinging at her eyes, his accusation cutting into her like a knife.

"You don't understand-"

"You're right. I don't understand, because everything you have told me before was complete and utter lies? Perhaps it's time that I find out the truth, but I don't expect you to actually tell me willingly. I think this is something the Hokage should be informed of, then you can be dealt with accordingly."

Her eyes widened.

If he went to the Hokage, she'd most certainly face consequences. Of course, not for the accusations Kakashi had concocted up, but because she would have to explain to him who she really was, where she was from, and include him into this bizarre predicament, which would only cause things to become much more complicated. There would be no going back from this, everything they had been was practically unsalvageable.

Sakura was desperate for this to be resolved before the Hokage became aware that her situation had been compromised. As a kunoichi, she was fully aware of the importance of damage control, but she'd never had to apply it to a personal circumstance until now. Her brain was fried, and she knew her skills at lying were mediocre at best. Still, she had to try.

"Look, I'll tell you everything. I promise." she attempted to thwart his plan of action, but to no avail.

"Promises mean nothing to me anymore." he replied darkly, his voice low, the emotion behind his words overwhelming and painful for the pinkette to hear.

Before Sakura could respond, Kakashi lifted up a hand and suddenly disappeared in a cloud of what appeared to be smoke, a method of travel he used that she'd become accustomed to in her own time. He was heading to the Hokage's office, she had no doubt about that. When he had left, her hitai-ate had still been clutched in his hand, the most treasured possession Sakura had in this time, and she wasn't going to let him go ahead and obscure things even more than necessary.

After a temporary moment of collecting her thoughts and gathering her wits, Sakura did the first thing she could think of in such a hasty situation. Slipping her feet into her boots at the quickest pace she could muster, she then moved over to the nearby window and opened it before jumping out onto the outside ledge. She was hoping to perhaps catch up with him before he reached the Hokage, although she was painfully aware that his mode of travel was much quicker than her own.

Taking a moment, Sakura closed her eyes in deep concentration as she tried to figure out how much further ahead of herself Kakashi was. Having become accustomed to his chakra over a number of years, Sakura could sense him easily when she attempted, and although it was nowhere near the powerful level of her sensei, it was still quite awe-worthy. And unfortunately for the pinkette, it was also rapidly approaching it's destination.

She sprung up into the air and landed daintily on the roof of the building next to the inn, not caring who saw her. She'd already been compromised, what was the harm of villagers seeing a strange blur of red, pink and black jumping past their windows? She hurried her pace, the need to get to the Hokage as soon as possible driving her to jump higher, to cover more distance, to run as fast as she could across the buildings.

Perhaps there was a way that she could avoid the awkward conversation with Kakashi about her true identity. Maybe the Hokage could steer him in another direction, lead him away from the truth. Sakura found herself becoming hopeful, but was clever enough to know that it wouldn't work, and that there was a very small chance that the Third would even attempt such a thing.

In a matter of minutes Sakura was outside the Hokage's office, taking note of the already open window before clamouring inside. Once her feet were planted firmly on the floor, she looked up to see three faces, two of which where staring at her incredulously as she stood up straight, panting slightly as she attempted to catch her breath.

The Hokage sat behind his desk as usual, his aged eyes transfixed on the pinkette, the look on his face difficult to read. To his right stood his Sai-looking assistant, whom Sakura recalled as being called something like Juno, unable to remember his actual name. The man's dark eyebrows were lifted with mild surprise as he watched her, obviously not expecting her sudden arrival.

Kakashi stood facing the desk, his gaze held tightly on the Hokage. He didn't give Sakura so much of a glance, there was no indication given that he was aware of her presence. The pinkette could only stare at him, viridian orbs trailing over his form until they found the hitai-ate, which was behind held out before his torso, a gesture intended to help the Third observe it better.

The Hokage frowned before he tore his eyes away from Sakura, focusing his attention back to Kakashi and the item he held in his hand.

"Junichi, perhaps it is best that you leave us. This is a matter to be dealt with privately." he spoke to the dark-haired man beside him, who looked shocked by the sudden order but nonetheless bowed respectively and made his way out of the room without a word of protest.

Sakura watched as he left, Kakashi and the Third too busy staring at the hitai-ate, silent until the door closed behind Junichi with an audible click.

"What is this?" the Hokage began calmly, carefully, the same question that Kakashi had asked her only minutes earlier.

"I found this in Sakura's apartment, hidden away. It's a hitai-ate, one of ours, and as far as I can tell, it's not a forgery." Kakashi explained, his voice shaking slightly as his ire raged underneath his calm demeanour.

"I can see that. But why are you bringing it to me?" the Third continued, glancing over to Sakura with a look of disappointment.

"I want to know how she came to have it. As an outsider, getting into the shinobi academy would have been a difficult feat on it's own, but I know for a fact that she's spent most of her days here working at the hospital, there's no chance she could have enrolled and graduated in the time she'd been here. There's no logical explanation for why it is in her possession, unless it was stolen from one of our shinobi."

"Why would I steal someone's hitai-ate?" the pinkette suddenly spoke up, feeling annoyed at the false accusations that were being thrown in her direction.

Kakashi turned in her direction slightly, but his gaze still eluded her own.

"To infiltrate the village, to get some kind of intelligence or plan an attack. Disguise yourself as one of our own, befriend us, get us to trust you. From the day I met you, I knew there was something strange about you, something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I let it slide, for the sake of Rin."

The mention of Rin sent guilt rolling over Sakura's body in waves. Her one closest friend in this time, who couldn't have thought anything bad about her new friend, even if she tried. Rin had instantly trusted her from the moment they had met one another, there had been so mistrust or suspiciousness, yet Sakura had been forced to lie to her continuously during their entire friendship. Sure, it had been small untruths here and there, but in the end, it had added up.

"But now…now it all makes more sense to me. No civilian medic exhibits such exceptional chakra control, nor such an amount, no matter how well they've been trained, and it's obvious that's not the only training you've had, not when you somehow took down an entire gang of rouge-nins single handedly. You're a shinobi, that much has become obvious, but I want to know what village you've really come from, and what you want with Konoha." Kakashi continued, moving his head forward.

Sakura took in a deep breath as she absorbed his words, feeling the hurt in each sentence that fell from his masked lips. She'd been lying to him since the beginning, and now he had discovered that fact, after he had let his barriers down and they had become so intimate with one another. She'd betrayed his trust, and that wasn't an easy thing to gain in the first place, not at all, especially not with Kakashi.

The last thing she had wanted to do was hurt him. He was so dear to her, both the older incarnation and that of the younger man who stood before her, his back turned to her. She'd never intended for things to become so out of hand, for the two of them to have grown so close. She'd known it would complicate things, and yet, for some unknown reason, she'd listened to her heart instead of her head, something that happened rarely. She'd gone with her emotional instincts and bonded with Kakashi, leading to something more, which had been forbidden. And now, she was to pay the consequences for her actions.

Unfortunately, he would too.

The Hokage sighed, breaking Sakura from her guilt-ridden thoughts and the pains that were beginning to emit from her chest, hurting more with each passing minute.

"I had hoped it would never come to this, but my old age proved me to be a fool. You've always been incredibly clever Kakashi, always seeing underneath the underneath. You are right, Sakura is indeed a shinobi."

The pinkette's eyes widened as the elderly man spoke the truth bluntly, Kakashi's hands dropping to his sides.

"You…you knew?"

The Third nodded.

"However, there is more to this situation that meets the eye. Sakura is from Konoha, and that is her hitai-ate. It was not stolen, in fact, it was the only possession she brought with her when she arrived here."

"Hokage-sama, I apologize, but you're not making much sense…"

Aged eyes full of fathomless wisdom moved to look at Sakura, who instantly froze under their gaze.

"Perhaps it would be better if Sakura explained it herself."

Once again, Kakashi inclined his head ever so slightly in her direction, the eye nearest to her closed, containing the Sharingan. The other obsidian orb was fixated firmly on the wall, he seemed determined not to look at her. She frowned at this, but it was not the time to dwell on her own cornucopia of emotions. Not when she had some clearing up to do.

"I…I'm not really sure how to say this…" she begun, fumbling over her words as her mind began to go into overdrive, trying to figure out how she was going to clarify everything to him.

"Just tell me." Kakashi ground out, his impatience clear.

"I'm from the future." the pinkette blurted out, causing the silver-haired man's head to snap in her direction, his eye meeting hers for the first time since she had arrived in the room.

"That's the best you can come up with?" he accused her, his eyebrow raised.

"She is speaking the truth, Kakashi." The Third spoke up, but the ANBU did not turn to face him.

"I'm not lying to you, I swear it. I was born in Konoha, where I have lived all my eighteen years. I graduated from the academy at the age of twelve, I only recently became a Jōnin. I was on a mission when a rogue-nin attacked me, and told me he was going to try a new jutsu on me. The next thing I knew, I was waking up here, in a time previous to my own. I know now that it was a time-travel technique, and I've been stuck here ever since, waiting for a counter jutsu to be developed so I can be returned home, to my own time." Sakura explained, trying to remain as calm as she possibly could whilst speaking, which she was finding to be quite a challenging task.

It sounded crazy and absurd in her own head, despite the fact that she knew her words were true, after all, she had gone through all these experiences herself.

"How many years?" Kakashi murmured, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"What?"

"How many years were you sent back?"

Sakura took a deep breath.

"Fourteen."

Kakashi was rendered silent, and she could tell that his mind was working overtime to try and make sense of what she had just told him.

Suddenly, he burst into bitter laughter, surprising his fellow occupants in the room.

"You must think I'm a blithering idiot if you expect me to believe such a sensational concoction of lies. I will applaud you on somehow convincing the Hokage that your words are true, tell me, did you use some kind of brain-washing jutsu?"

The Hokage's white eyebrows knitted together in annoyance at Kakashi's outburst.

"This is no laughing matter, you should be ashamed with yourself Kakashi if you honestly believe that I could be so easily manipulated. Sakura has proved the truth to me, and I have no reason to doubt her, not when everything she has said has made sense." he scolded the ANBU, who glared once more at the pinkette.

"What has she said that has won your trust so easily?"

Sakura couldn't bear to look at Kakashi any longer, the scorn, anger, hurt, confusion and doubt that she saw on his exposed features having become too much. The mask that covered most of his features was worn to hide such emotions, and yet they were screaming at her from the depths of his midnight orb, the judgement clear as day. To see him looking at her in such a way was heartbreaking, especially after everything they had gone through together.

"Village secrets that are not well-known, specifically about your former sensei's wife."

Sakura's eyes shot back up, incredulous.

"Your sensei was Naruto's father?"

Now it was Kakashi's turn to be surprised.

"How…that's something that is not common knowledge." he exclaimed, before his features scrunched up once more. "But how do I know you didn't just threaten someone to give you secrets of the village? Or that you didn't find the information by infiltration?"

The pinkette could understand that he was confused, bewildered, a little sceptical. But this was getting them nowhere, and the sooner he accept the truth, the better they would all be.

"If you don't believe me, then I suggest you go and look for a little four-year old girl with cherry-blossom coloured hair who answers to the name of Haruno Sakura. Once you do find her, make sure you pay attention, then come and tell me that my words are lies." she told him, folding her arms across her chest.

Kakashi said nothing in response, but turned away from the pinkette once she had finished speaking. Placing the hitai-ate on the desk before him, he bowed his head slightly to the Hokage before lifting his arm up once more, not acknowledging Sakura at all before he disappeared yet again in the cloud of smoke.

As it cleared, revealing that he was definitely no longer in the room, Sakura felt like her knees were about to buckle, her head had begun pound. What was supposed to happen next? She looked over to the Hokage, who sighed once more as he picked up the hitai-ate from his desk, observing the engraved emblem carefully.

"I was under the assumption that I had told you to remove this from sight, to make sure that no-one knew you had it." he began slowly, his eyes fixated on the metal plate.

"I had hidden it away from prying eyes, I honestly had no idea how he found it." Sakura retorted, still confused by how Kakashi had come across it.

Had he been snooping, invading her privacy whilst she had been in the shower? It wasn't a trait she would commonly associate with him, although as she had been proved over and over again, the Kakashi in this time was very different to one she had known her entire teenage life.

"What was he doing at the inn with you, in your room? When we last spoke, I thought we had agreed that it was best that you no longer spend time with Kakashi." the Third raised an eyebrow with curiosity.

"We did, but…last night, he came to my door, asking to be let in. He was still upset about Rin…he needed comfort, and so I consoled him. I couldn't just turn him away, that would have been cruel."

Of course, she wasn't going to delve into detail about exactly _how_ she had consoled him, that would have just made everything much worse than it already was, and there was no need to make the situation messier.

"Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind. Kakashi has now been unwillingly roped into this bizarre situation because you couldn't let go." the Third spoke softly, placing the hitai-ate back onto the desk.

Sakura looked down at the floor, feeling incredibly disappointed with herself. She'd selfishly allowed herself to become too comfortable with this time, to become too comfortable with Kakashi. She'd known it had been wrong, forbidden, and yet she never pushed him away, only enticed him to return. She allowed herself to develop feelings for him, and for what? A relationship would never go anywhere, only to be ended when she returned to her own time, leaving him heartbroken and in emotional turmoil. No-one ever wanted to put their lover through so much pain, why hadn't she even considered that?

"I didn't think…it would turn out like this." she admitted sadly, moisture beginning to build up in her eyes.

She refused to cry, having already shed so many tears over the past few days. There was no way she could weep over her own selfishness.

"I did warn you to stay away from him." The Hokage reminded her, his tone lightly reprimanding.

Sakura looked up towards the open window that she had entered through, overlooking the village. Her thoughts instantly went to Kakashi, she wondered where he was, what he was doing, her lips moving into a sad smile.

"Well, it looks like that won't be a problem now."

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ This chapter is quite short, I know, and I apologize. I stretched it out as much as I could, but the simple fact is that it wouldn't fit with the next chapter, and deserved to be on it's own, all messy and angry and sad. I'm honestly not entirely happy with it, and had a lot of difficulty writing it - I want every chapter to be the best because it's what you guys deserve, and I don't want to disappoint you._

_**2.**__ It may look like things are turning to crap, but please don't panic too much - I must remind you that we still have a fair few chapters until the end. ;)_

_**3.**__ Which brings me to my next little piece of information, I went over my notes and actually stretched the story to roughly twenty-six chapters instead of the original estimate of twenty-four. So that's at least two extra chapters yay!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)_


	19. Chapter 19

_Late update again. Sorry guys. It's just that time of year, and with so much going on recently, I just haven't been in the right state of mind to write. But I wanted to get an update in before Christmas, and so here it is. I'll try and update in a week before the New Year, but we will see. It would be nice to get in another chapter, which will be the last of 2012._

_Absolutely loved the response for the last chapter, every single review I get makes me feel even more and more grateful to have such amazing readers. A lot of you thank me for writing this story - believe me, it should be the other way around, me thanking you for reading! _

_I've said it many times before - I really do adore this story, and to know that so many of you are enjoying it immensely makes me incredibly proud of it. I've never been too confident of my writing skills, I know there are many out there who's talents exceed mine greatly, but as long as you like the story and how I write it, that's enough for me._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sakura was facing a dilemma.

The black material lay spread out across her bed, waiting for her to pick it up and adorn it. Yet she couldn't bring herself to even make a decision if she was going to show up or not, to pay her respects or stay away and not cause any potential trouble. She'd been fighting this internal battle inside her mind for over an half an hour now, and was still no closer to coming to a conclusion as to what to do

Looking up at the clock on the nearby wall, she realized that Rin's funeral would be starting shortly, and even if she decided to go, she wouldn't make it there in time to hear the beginning of the Hokage's speech. It was usual the same format used at all funerals, tweaked here and there to make it personally reflect on the deceased person that was being lay to rest.

Sakura let out a sigh and leaned her back against the wall before sliding down it, her backside landing painfully on the floor with a dulled thud, her viridian eyes still focused on the simple black dress she had purchased the day previous for the memorial, long sleeved and plain, similar to the one she had back home, which had seen it's fair share of funerals.

She closed her eyes briefly, thinking back to a happier time, when things had been much more simple.

_The two girls sat in a booth at the back of the establishment, two bottles of sake between them; one empty, one full. A cup sat before them both, an eruption of giggles heard by the other patrons as they drank their own alcohol and ate their meals._

_"I can't believe he said that!" Sakura managed to gasp through her laughter, her hand grasped around her half-full cup of sake._

_"Neither can I! I've had some outrageous patients before, but he takes the cake!" Rin exclaimed, her cheeks red from both her chuckles and the alcohol that had already begun to affect both their systems._

_Patient-doctor confidentiality did exist, but this man could not have really been considered a 'patient', not when he had come into the room wearing nothing but a coat and deeming that his ultimate dream was to seduce a medic._

_Poor Rin had never seen it coming, and immediately fled the room. The man was removed forcibly from the hospital mere moments later by security, but the brunette had been scarred for life, so it seemed. After work, she'd grabbed Sakura and the two had gone to the nearby pub for dinner and a few drinks, and then told the pinkette her story._

_"I once had a young boy who came in, worried about an unusual growth appearing on his armpits. I had to explain to the poor boy that it was just underarm hair, completely normal for a boy going through puberty. He was relieved by that, telling me there was also a growth downstairs that he was freaking out about." Sakura told Rin, who chortled once more with her._

_"I know we shouldn't be talking about this, but it's really nice to have a friend who's a medic too, and be able to swap stories." Rin said a few minutes later, a smile appearing on her lips, her features brightening with the gesture._

_"Yeah." Sakura replied, her smile not quite reaching it's full potential as she reminded herself that one day she would have to return home. _

_How much she wanted to tell Rin the truth didn't matter. She'd sworn to the Hokage that she would keep her identity a secret, under no circumstances was she allowed to break her oath. As she watched Rin take another sip of sake, she wondered if perhaps when she returned to the future, she could track down the brunette and rekindle their friendship. Even though Rin would be fourteen years older instead of the same age, Sakura couldn't see why they wouldn't become friends once more._

_The thought made Sakura's smile finally reach her eyes as she took a sip of her own drink. She was looking forward to the future, with the possibility of a new, and yet old, friend._

Now, that couldn't happen. Rin was gone forever, she'd never make it to the age of thirty-two, living happily in Sakura's time. They couldn't be friends when she returned.

How was she supposed to say goodbye to a friend, when their relationship had only just begun? It hadn't even hit full fruition, which the pinkette had been hoping it would, despite her conflicted feelings over the boy that Rin had also loved at the time.

There was no doubt in her mind that Kakashi would be there to farewell the last member of his team, and it was his presence that was causing her to consider not going to the service at all. In the past week she hadn't seen him once, not even out of the corner of her eye, which left her feeling incredibly alone. With Rin no longer around, Sakura had lost her social circle, as small as it had been. Her shifts at the hospital had decreased in hours as well, but that had been at her request.

After royally screwing everything up, Sakura had retreated to the safety of her small room at the inn. Even the Hokage had let her be, only sending a messenger to inform her of the upcoming funeral. She simply had no idea what she was supposed to do anymore, having already been exposed to Kakashi and experiencing his reaction to her forced lies, there was no point in acquiring new friends that would distract her from her predicament and pass the time. The notion was selfish anyway, as she could potentially leave at any given time.

More then ever, she was homesick. She missed the normalcy of her old life, save for the odd mission here and there. She missed working at the hospital, her hospital, where everyone respected her, where her fellow colleagues would come to her if they were facing a problem or needed her opinion on something. She missed the patients, the ones who knew her name and her reputation, as both Tsunade's apprentice and a skilled kunoichi in her own right.

Above all else, she missed her friends, Naruto's abundance of energy and constant brightness, Ino's sassy comments about the rumours that were always whirling around the village, Sai's strange observations about life as he continued to learn more about allowing himself to experience the emotions he had suppressed for many years.

She missed Kakashi, the one she was accustomed to, with his general aloofness and strange knack for saying the right thing when she needed to hear it. Even his habit of showing up late with a far-fetched excuse made her miss him terribly, the younger incarnation she had been interacting with lately couldn't compare. He hardly knew her as a person, albeit he was familiar with her quite well intimately, and that just wasn't the same.

And yet, Sakura felt herself missing the Kakashi of this time as well, whom she had somehow found herself falling for. Her feelings for him at the moment were conflicted, they had finally been together, which had been fantastic despite the fact that it had been forbidden and should never have happened. Things had been so right at that moment, only to be destroyed by the discovery of her hitai-ate, and therefore her true identity.

She'd hurt him, and wasn't sure that there was any way to fix things between them, even as friends. And she'd come to the realization that it could affect the future with her sensei when she returned to her own time; would he still be hurt and angered by her? If that was so, would he recall the night they had shared together?

The pinkette scrunched up her features with the thought, a fleeting image of the tender moments flashing through her mind, the memory of the younger Kakashi replaced with the older incarnation, her sensei, the man who had known her since she was twelve. It was a disturbing thought that she tried desperately to wipe from her mind, and yet, she couldn't help but wonder just how much had changed in the fourteen years between the two men she knew, how much could that time affect a person emotionally, mentally, physically?

However, now was not the time to be thinking about such things.

Quickly snapping back to reality, Sakura's eyes moved to the clock before they settled once again on the black dress that lay across her bedspread. The funeral had already started, she was definitely going to be late. But Rin had been her friend, even if she had been forced to keep her true identity a secret from the brunette. She'd been one of the sweetest girls Sakura had ever known, and the least she could do was go to the service and pay her respects to her fallen friend.

With that resolve, Sakura inhaled deeply and manoeuvred herself onto her feet, walking over to dark material and picking it up. It was time to farewell Rin.

* * *

Konoha Cemetary was full of villagers and shinobi alike, all dressed in formal black attire like Sakura as she finally made her way to the outskirts of the village. She stood at the back of the crowd, looking up thorough various shoulders and heads at the Hokage as he stood before the Will of Fire sculpture, in the middle of his speech, which Sakura could only faintly hear.

She immediately noticed the Nekozuka family, Rin's brothers standing off to the side, heads bowed in respect along with their parents. Every now and then she could see the faint shudder of Ryou's shoulders, indicating that he was weeping. Sakura's heart immediately went out to him, she couldn't even begin to imagine how hard the loss of his twin had hit him.

Next to them her eyes met with silver, and she felt the pain in her chest as she took in Kakashi's form. What was visible of his face was hard for her to see, his head bowed down in similar fashion to her family, his hands placed in his pockets. She wanted nothing more than to run to him, to hold him, console him, but knew she couldn't. No, all she could do was stand by and mourn with the rest of the village.

She couldn't help but look around, noticing many familiar faces, especially young ones. The most notable was the presence of the Hyūga clan members, a young Hinata standing beside her father, her tiny hand grasped in his larger one. Even at a young age, the heiress had a regal air about her, one that would continue as she grew older and became stronger and more confident.

Behind her stood a slightly older boy, Sakura almost crying out at the sight of his small form. It had only been two years since Neji had died before her very eyes, and seeing him so young was a definite shock for her system. During his last years she'd formed a friendship with him, one that was mostly professional, but as intellectuals, they had gotten along quite well.

Part of her wanted to rush over to him, wrap her arms around his minute frame and try to convince him to stray from the path of a shinobi and save his life, but she knew she couldn't meddle. Not when everything else was already at stake. She wished that Tenten could see him at that moment, the young incarnation of her deceased love. The brunette weapons-master had wept for days after Neji had died, and Sakura wished she could have done anything to save her from her grief, to no avail.

War took lives, those of comrades, friends, family. It was inevitable, and unpreventable.

Her mind all over the place, Sakura returned her focus to the Hokage, who was in the process of finishing his speech.

"Nekozuka Rin was a valuable shinobi of this village, and though she may no longer be among us, her efforts will never be forgotten. Her will and determination will be carried on through her fellow medics, her treasured friends, her loving family." the Hokage spoke, his voice lower than usual, his sadness etched deeply into his aged features.

Sakura frowned slightly at his last words, knowing just what Rin had gone through with her family, how her brothers had treated her whilst she was alive. As the Hokage stepped down from the podium and made his way back to the village followed by many of the villagers, she looked over to Rin's family, watching them carefully. Ryuu seemed to be the most upset, his parents consoling him before they too followed the thinning crowd of villagers as they left the cemetery.

Soon enough, all that were left in the area with Sakura were Rin's brothers, their feline companions and Kakashi. None of them seemed to notice her until she begun to stride towards them, becoming increasingly more angry at the impassiveness across the faces of Yuji and Takeo.

_"I know she sent you to do this because she didn't want to face me. She knows that I think she's a disgrace to the family. I get that medics are important, but our clan have always been partnered up with felines. Rin turned her back on the clan and it's heritage, choosing to study medic nin-jutsu instead. She is the weakest link within our family, I'm surprise our parents have been so tolerant of her. If it were my child, she'd be disowned."_

_"Takeo never really speaks to anyone, although he's made it clear that he doesn't want much to do with her. He's incredibly traditional, and it blinds him from Rin's suffering. Yuji is just a bastard. He has middle-child syndrome and does whatever he can to make himself noticed, hence why he's so vocal about it. That, and he's always trying to impress Takeo."_

_"I'm fine, really. To be honest, I'm used to the scrutiny. Takeo disapproves the most of the family, although he isn't as vocal about it like Yuji. He's always been disappointed with me." _

Viridian eyes narrowed as the words echoed in her head, those of Yuji, Ryou and Rin herself.

Ryou looked up and noticed the pinkette approaching them, eyebrows raising in surprise.

"Sakura-!"

Three pairs of human eyes, three of feline and one sole obsidian orb were now trained on Sakura as she stood in front of Yuji, her face turning slightly red.

"Are you _happy_ now?"

Her courage slipped, her voice wavering as tears began to build in her eyes.

Yuji raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you-"

"You know _exactly_ what I mean." Sakura snarled darkly. "You've never thought nicely of Rin, openly declaring that you thought her a disgrace to the family. And now that she's _gone_, what do you have to say now? And don't lie to me and say that you're upset about it, because even a fool could tell that you couldn't care less."

Stunned silence followed her outburst, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks as she continued to glare at Yuji, who was retuning it with his own.

"You have no idea how I'm feeling." he hissed in return.

"It's too late to feel any regret now. Your sister was the most amazing woman, one of the sweetest, kindest people I've ever had the pleasure to know, and you treated her as if she were a rock in her shoe. You said yourself that she was the weakest link in your family, now that she's out of the picture, you should be jumping with happiness-"

"I would not be meddling with our family's affairs, if I were you."

Sakura was surprised as Takeo spoke up, standing in front of Yuji, his tone warning. Rin had explained to her that her eldest brother had been the most disapproving, but she'd never heard him say a word on the subject, or anything else for that matter. His interruption only caused Sakura to become even more angry.

"It's about time someone stood up for her! She at least deserves that, having dealt with all the crap you two have put her through all these years, all the awful things you have said to her, about her. Yet she still loved you because you were her brothers, and that's why she let it slide, and pretended like it didn't affect her when it did." she continued, her voice almost growing hoarse with how loud she had been shouting.

Takeo did not respond, instead he turned around and looked at Yuji before pointing his thumb towards the village as an indication that they leave. Silently, he complied, but not before scowling at the pinkette, who's furious features did not falter.

"And now you're leaving because deep down, you know I'm right, and you have nothing else to say to plea your case. I hope this teaches you both a lesson, and that you think a little more before you decide to treat people like absolute scum!" she screamed at their retreating forms.

Their companions padded after them, Katsuo hissing menacingly at Sakura as they strode past. Ankoku however, paused in front of the pinkette and looked up at her.

"You don't belong here. You should go home."

With that, the white beast walked off, leaving Sakura to bow her head and wipe her eyes with the back of her sleeve as she tried her best to calm down. A hand clasped her shoulder gently, causing her to spin around instantly, thinking that it had been Kakashi who had made the gesture.

However, her eyes met with the familiar chocolate-hued ones of Ryou, who smiled at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." he told her softly, causing her to frown.

"For what?"

You were right, it was time someone stood up for Rin. It should have been me. I shouldn't have stayed silent all these years, let them say such horrible things to her. I've been such a fool, I honestly believed that their words didn't affect her, that they couldn't. She just…she never said a word about it to me, never told me how much they actually hurt her." he explained, his eyes moving down to the newly engraved headstone that bore his sister's name.

"No, I should be sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, it wasn't my place. I just saw them here and got so angry, knowing how they felt about Rin and how they were acting sad like everyone else for appearances. She was strong, but it still hurt that they thought so poorly of her, she just became better at hiding it over the years, especially from you. She didn't want to drag you into the mud alongside her, she was protecting you." Sakura ran a hand through her hair, feeling the sting of guilt once more.

A feeling she was slowly and begrudgingly becoming accustomed to.

"From now on, if they dare mutter one word about her, I'm going to say something. I shouldn't stay silent anymore, let them damage her memory." Ryou added, nodding his head in resolve.

"I'm sure Rin would be proud of you." she replied, her voice soft.

"I'm going to miss her, terribly. Our parents have even decided that we're going to move, they've taken it quite hard, more than any of us had imagined. They were never openly criticizing of her, but they weren't vocally proud either. Mother is pretty distraught, she's decided she wants to return to her home village of Kusagakure. We're leaving in a week."

Despite being shocked at hearing this, Sakura moved forward and wrapped her arms around his in a comforting hug. Ryou, whilst surprised at first, moved his arms around her petite waist and squeezed back gently before they both let go and broke apart.

"I hope it all goes well for you, and while I'm sorry to see you go, I'm glad I met you." she told him, managing a smile.

"You too. Afterall, you did save my life, and my sister was definitely happier these last few months, having a friend like you around. I know you'll watch over her when we leave, she's in good hands." Ryou returned with a smile of his own, before he looked to his left at Tsumeta, who nodded up at Sakura before the two moved past her to the village.

She watched them leave before turning her head to face Kakashi, only to realize that he had disappeared. Sighing, she came to the conclusion that he was still unwilling to speak to her, to forgive her. She hoped he would come around before she had to return home, she needed to fix things before that could happen, and time was ironically running out.

Finding herself alone, Sakura lowered her eyes to the slab of marble before her, trailing over each detailed letter of her friend's name. Now was the time to pay her respects, and she dropped down to her knees, not caring if they became caked with mud.

She lifted a hand and brushed her fingers over the headstone, taking in a deep breath to try and keep herself calm and restrained, but she could feel the moisture building up in her eyes. She'd been crying to much lately, the last thing she wished was to become emotional yet again. But she wouldn't hold these tears back, not when they were for Rin.

What was she supposed to say? She'd sometimes gone and visited the graves of other people who had fallen, friends and family alike, but never by herself. There was always someone else there, someone who would hold her as she cried, and prompt her when she lost her words. But this time she was alone, with no-one beside her to help. She had to find the strength on her own.

"This is my fault." she began softly, bowing her head, azalea locks covering her tearful face. "I should have been honest with you, told you who I really was. I wanted to, believe me I did. I was actually going to tell you, just before we were called to the Hokage's office and given our missions…if I had, you would still be here."

Sakura choked back a sob, hastily wiping her eyes once more.

"I shouldn't even be here in this time, if I'd just minded my own business, if I'd conceived my shishou to let me deliver that scroll the next day…I have so many regrets, and you are my biggest. I'm so sorry, so so sorry. I've gone and ruined everything, even Kakshi hates me and won't talk to me. And even then, I kissed him, I even…lost my virginity to him, and I shouldn't have let myself fall for him, especially when I knew how you felt about him. I know you gave me your blessing…but friends don't do that to one another. You deserved a better friend than me."

The tears were falling quickly, tormenting down her face as her body shook. She'd realized her selfishness in this time much too late. Due to her mistakes, her ability to seemingly only think of herself, Rin was gone and Kakashi hated her.

With nothing more to say to Rin and her sobs subsiding, Sakura took a few deep breaths before finding the strength to return to her feet, her eyes still on the headstone before her.

"Goodbye Rin." she whispered.

As she moved to turn around and continue towards the village, a body pressed up against her back, one hand wrapping itself tightly around her thin waist, a hand clasping over her mouth.

Before she could protest, the cemetery around her disappeared.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ Don't be surprised by the cliffhanger, you all know well by now that I love them, and that I am evil. Mwahahaha!_

_**2.**__ Added a little memorial to Neji in there. Even though he wasn't my absolute favourite character, I still liked him and thought he had a very interesting backstory. And I adore Neji/Tenten stories, and was even considering writing one in the future. But Kishimoto apparently has other ideas! If you don't read the manga, then you really should, and there's tons of spoilers in this story already, so don't get angry at me._

_**3.**__ I changed the cover picture! It was originally used for my other KakaSaku story 'Lolita', but I found one that suited it much better, and I love the illustration so much that I'm now using it for Unbroken. It's incredibly hot, as is this story at times, so I thought it was perfect. What are your thoughts, my lovely readers?_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated._


	20. Chapter 20

_I really wanted to get this up on time but my internet data had been used up and wasn't refreshed until the 1st of January here. And with that, I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that your Christmas was wonderful!_

_Also had my younger brother come around for a few days and so I was busy spending time with him and unable to write until now. I will try and make the last few updates on time, simply because there's only six chapters left after this one._

_I loved reading all your speculations as to who had kidnapped Sakura in the last chapter; a few guesses I wouldn't have even thought of, but there were a lot of right guesses. I know you all hate the cliffhangers but I do adore them, they make you bite your nails, sit on the edge of your seat and crave the next chapter even more, and as a writer I aim to keep you entertained._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER TWENTY

"What the-"

The cemetery vanished around Sakura, only to be replaced with the sight of trees mere seconds later. She was released from the hold of her kidnapper and instantly fell to her knees, feeling slightly dizzy and disorientated. Taking in a few deep breaths, she found her strength once more and returned to her feet before spinning around and finally discovering who had taken her.

Viridian eyes widened.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me." she commented softly.

"I have a lot of questions that remain unanswered."

Kakashi's face remain impassive; at least, what she could see that was not covered by the dark hued material of his mask. His sole obsidian orb was trained directly on her form, but she couldn't detect any kind of significant emotion within it's depths, which slightly unnerved her.

Sakura lips turned into a frown. "You know there's a lot I'm not allowed to tell you."

"I'm fully aware. That doesn't mean I'm unable to wonder about them."

His sentences seemed to be rather short, his voice emotionless, and Sakura couldn't help but be both bewildered and confused as to what was going on. If Kakashi really wanted to talk to her, she had been more than happy to oblige, all he had to do was simply ask her, not kidnap her suddenly out of nowhere.

"Does this mean you believe me then?" she inquired, brushing the dirt from her dress before her eyes met his own once more.

"I did as you asked. I found the little girl, Haruno Sakura. The resemblance is uncanny."

Sakura found herself scowling. "You didn't answer my question."

"It would seem that we are now both equals in that respect." Kakashi replied tonelessly.

Feeling the sting of tears in her eyes yet again, Sakura bit the inside of her lip. She was at a loss at what to do with her former lover as he stood before her, seemingly uncaring and as cold as ice towards her. Did he bring her here just to make her worse about the situation? She doubted that was even possible, not with the increasing guilt that had plagued her every day since the confrontation in the Hokage's office.

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry that I had to lie to you Kakashi, but what else was I supposed to do? Tell you the truth? I doubted you would have believed me anyway." she exclaimed, attempting to keep her tears at bay.

"I want you to tell me something that is true. Anything."

"I love trivia games. I once broke my leg falling out of a tree. I'm insecure about the size of my forehead. I dislike any kind of spicy food." Sakura managed, biting her lip.

He said nothing in reply to this, continuing to simply watch her with his dull orb as Sakura finally noticed her surroundings, and just how _familiar_ they were. Instantly her chest began to hurt as she caught sight of the three stumps that stood out of the ground nearby, the nostalgia that came with them. The Third Training Ground was full of memories for the pinkette, both good and bad, but it was usually the hurtful memories that came to her mind first.

"Of all the places…you take me _here_." she whispered, unaware if Kakashi heard her or not.

The silver-haired man remained stoic and silent as he reached into the pocket of his pants, pulling out two metallic objects tied together by a thin red sting, that chimed as they bumped one another. Sakura couldn't help but knit her petal-hued eyebrows together with confusion. She'd seen them before, and knew exactly what they meant.

"Bells? You're kidding me, right?"

"I want you to complete the bell test. If you are able to take one of these bells from me, I will believe your story." he explained, his eye moving to the silver bells that hung from his fingertips.

A petal-coloured eyebrow raised. He would believe her story, just like that, if she succeeded in obtaining a bell? It didn't sit right with her, and she found herself unable to have faith in his words. Sure, engaging in battle with him might have the advantage of proving that she was indeed a kunoichi, and would aid him in believing everything else, but not immediately.

Sakura folded her arms across her chest. "The bell test is designed for simple genin, to see if they are able to work in a team or not in order to get the bells. I recently reached the rank of Jōnin in my time."

Kakashi's shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "I want to test your abilities."

"I'm on strict orders from the Hokage to not display any of my shinobi skills. I've already gone and muddled things up enough by getting you involved, I don't exactly wish to land myself into more trouble than I'm already in." the pinkette argued, feeling slightly frustrated at Kakashi's unreasonableness.

"I have booked out this area for the afternoon, so no-one should be coming near us. And if they do, I'll be notified immediately." he added, looking almost bored.

Something inside Sakura's mind clicked. "Got the boys on patrol?"

Kakashi's visible orb widened ever so slightly with what appeared to be surprise, the first emotion he had displayed since bringing her to the area.

"What do you-?"

"Your ninken. You send them out to patrol the border so that if anyone tries to come near us, you can be alerted and prevent me from being discovered, am I right?" Sakura spoke calmly, knowing that she was indeed correct.

His eye narrowed. "Just because you know of my hounds doesn't mean you are who you claim to be. Stop stalling and fight me. I'll even make it easier for you, and promise to keep my Sharingan hidden."

Now there was a surprise. Without his Sharingan, Kakashi instantly became an easier opponent. Despite this, he was still incredibly powerful, not to mention talented, and there was only a very small chance of Sakura achieving her task of retrieving one of the bells.

Yet, her mind began to tick over, reminding her that this was a Kakashi with fourteen years less experience than the man she had completed the bell test with twice before. There were many techniques he hadn't yet learned, skills he hadn't yet refined over time. The older Kakashi in her time was still working on his abilities and how to improve them, it was going to be interesting to see just how different the two incarnations were in battle.

Whilst her sensei had known more about Sakura and her skills, the younger version before her knew absolutely nothing about her abilities, which gave her the definite advantage. A smile crept onto her lips, if this was her chance to finally prove herself to Kakashi once and for all that she really was from a time yet to come, then she would take it.

"Deal."

With that, Kakashi reached into his pocket once more, bringing out a kunai holster, bandages and weapons pouch. He wordlessly held them out to Sakura, avoiding the chance of his fingertips grazing against hers as she attempted to grab the items, dropping them into her hands instead. The pinkette said nothing as she quickly wrapped the bandages around her thigh before attaching the holster to them and then looking through the weapons pouch, finding the usual assortment of shuriken, flash and exploding tags, smoke bombs, everything that could possibly aid her in battle.

She quickly attached it to the back of her dress, clipping it to the black material so that it was fastened tightly enough to not fall off during the fight. Her heart was beginning to pound in anticipation as her eyes once again found the silver bells that were hanging off the waistband of Kakashi's pants; not only did she want him to finally believe her about the bizarre situation she was in, but she also wanted to prove herself to him, just as she had already done so in her own time.

"Are you ready?" the silver-haired Jōnin asked, taking a step backwards.

"Yes." Sakura simply replied, standing perfectly still.

"I want you to come at me-"

"-like I'm going to kill you, or else I won't be able to get a bell, I know. This isn't my first time, Kakashi."

Sakura could have sworn there was the smallest hint at a smirk on those masked lips.

"Prove it to me then. You may begin."

And with those words, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke as he teleported away.

Luckily for Sakura, she was very well aware of how her sensei fought, his tactics and a good number of his jutsus. She had already come to the conclusion that this Kakashi would have a lower amount of techniques than his older incarnation, but she wasn't exactly sure which ones he had in his arsenal and which ones he had not learned and copied yet. Thankfully, he had told her he would not fight using his Sharingan, something that was entirely in her favour.

Closing her eyes, she tried to locate his whereabouts. He would remain close enough to see what she was planning to do, but was exceptional at concealing his chakra, and therefore his presence. However, Sakura had been exceptionally trained by her mentor Tsunade, and was very skilled in sensing enemies in battle, especially when she knew them well.

Before she could properly discover him, she heard a whistling noise growing louder as it came towards her and instinctively bent her neck to the left, opening her eyes just in time to see the kunai whip beside her right ear before becoming lodged in the trunk of a tree behind her.

It seemed Kakashi had gotten impatient and tired of waiting.

Sure enough, the Jōnin jumped out of the bushes nearby at an incredible speed, one arm drawn back with his hand clenched in a fist, preparing to strike a blow. As his feet touched the ground and he pushed his arm forward to punch Sakura, she simply flipped out of the way, dropped to her knees and swung a leg out to trip him, but Kakashi merely jumped into the air, avoiding the attack.

When he returned to the ground once more, Sakura ran towards him, aiming a fist at his jaw, causing him to lean back slightly to barely miss her knuckles. He kicked his left leg up but the pinkette ducked easily, using it as an opportunity to try and knock Kakashi over once more. She swung her leg out again, this time connecting with the side of his shin, causing him to fall to the ground on his back.

Instantly she stood over him, fists clenched, a frown on her lips.

"Enough with the clone. I want to fight you, Kakashi."

Before he had a chance to reply, she aimed a punch at his face, connecting with the nose there before it exploded into a puff of smoke, revealing nothing but a simple log when it cleared. Sakura sighed, knowing it had been a clone all along - it was Kakashi's principal approach to battle, using a clone or several first so he could avoid direct contact until he could determine his opponent's skill and then modify his tactics to fit the situation. It was one of the many reasons why he was still alive after all the fights he had engaged in, and also why he was so damn good and heralded as not only one of the best shinobi of his generation, but of all time.

Silence filled the area, and Sakura once again attempted to locate the real Kakashi. Knowing how much he liked to hide underground when avoiding being found, she had a suspicious hunch that he was located beneath her, perhaps waiting for the moment to strike.

She couldn't allow that.

Gathering chakra in her fist, an ability that came almost naturally to her now after so many years of training, she jumped back before slamming her knuckles into the hardened ground, splitting it into various blocks of earth as it opened up. As the dust cleared, it revealed a very shocked Kakashi, who could only stare up at Sakura wordlessly.

"Found you." she smirked.

He didn't say anything in response, choosing to launch himself from the rubble into the air, reaching into his own weapons pouch and throwing a number of shuriken in her direction, which Sakura easily avoided by flipping backwards. One of her best skills was her evasiveness, an important tactic drilled into her by Tsunade as she was a medic-nin, and therefore had to avoid being injured or killed in battle so she could heal her comrades.

She threw a kunai back at him, knowing that it would miss him as Kakashi was good at evading himself, but he didn't seem to notice the exploding tag she had quickly attached to it. It detonated right next to him, causing the Jōnin to flip around in the air before making his way back to the ground, just barely managing to land on his feet.

He didn't take a moment to steady himself and regain his composure, his hands coming together in a flurry of seals instead, Sakura's eyes widening as she realised he was about to use nin-jutsu. She was surprised for a moment by the speed at which his fingertips moved, it was nowhere near the jay-dropping quickness that her sensei was known for, but was still incredibly impressive.

_"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

Sakura bent her knees before quickly launching herself into the air, just missing the giant orb of roaring fire as it whirled along the ground beneath her, and she could feel it's intense warmth through the thick soles of her boots. She had no time to dwell on it however, as Kakashi had also jumped up into the air, moving towards her with a kunai drawn before his chest.

She instantly grabbed one of her own, holding it before her just in time to block Kakashi's oncoming blow, the chinking noise of clashing metal resounding through the air as they both flipped away from one another in mid-air before dropping back to the ground. He pulled back his weapon and tried again to slash Sakura, this time across the left side of her torso, but she effectively blocked it and used the opportunity to punch him in the chest with her free hand.

It hadn't been her most powerful punch, in fact, she used only a meagre amount of chakra behind the attack, and yet her opponent was instantly knocked off his feet and sent flying backwards several feet until he landed onto the grass with a dull thud, rolling a few feet before coming to a complete stop. Sakura strode towards him, her kunai still gripped tightly in her hand, unsure of how much the blow had damaged him, if at all.

As she approached him, she noted that he was lying very still on his back, and wasn't exhibiting any noticeable signs of being conscious. She hadn't meant to knock him out completely, and could have sworn there wasn't enough power in her punch to do so. Her eyes immediately trailed down to the bells, which were so close to her grasp that she could almost taste the victory.

Of course, there was a very good chance that Kakashi was actually coherent and merely pretending to be unconscious, in order to bait her and see if she fell into his trap. Sakura was well aware of how the man that lay before her worked and thought in battle, and all signs pointed to it being a ploy. Still, it wouldn't hurt to humour him, not if she was quick enough and actually managed to ensnare one of the bells before he attacked her, ensuring her triumph.

With that, Sakura's hand darted out at the quickest speed she could muster, her fingertips just grazing the cool metal of one of the bells as a hand suddenly grasped her wrist tightly.

"You really thought it would be that easy?" Kakashi murmured, before he disappeared in a display of incredible blinding light and the sound of thousands of chirping birds.

Sakura's eyes widened with realization.

It had been a Lightning Release Shadow Clone.

As that thought hit her mind, so did the lightning, electrical currents running through her body as the chirping noise screeched loudly in her ears. Unable to move, all she could do was fall to the ground, close her eyes and wait for the lightning to subside, fix herself up and go and teach that bastard a thing or two about just who she really was.

Eventually the electricity left her body and the noise ceased, leaving her body feeling incredibly sore as her skin smoked every so slightly, an uncomfortable ringing sounding in her eardrums. Instantly her internal chakra went on duty, moving through her organs to make sure everything was in perfect condition. Luckily, it seemed she hadn't been affected too badly, save for some pained muscled and slightly singed hair.

When she felt able enough, Sakura slowly moved to her feet, trying to ignore the strain of her body with each move she made. Kakashi wasn't kidding around anymore, nor was he going easy on her. It seemed he had finally realized just how powerful she actually was, and perhaps he had come to the conclusion that she was, in fact, a shinobi.

She was going to get one of those bells, and prove to him once and for all that she was no longer lying to him. With that resolve, she made her way into the thick forest of trees, knowing that Kakashi was in there somewhere, waiting.

* * *

The sun was going down, the orange light that came with the sunset filtering through the trees as Sakura quietly made her way through them, in search of Kakashi. She'd lost track of time, but it couldn't have been more than half an hour since she'd been practically electrocuted by his Lighting Clone.

Suddenly the trees around her shifted, and the next thing she knew, it was night-time. The moon was full above her in the sky, lighting up her surroundings with it's illustrious shine. Sakura frowned at the sudden change of time, knowing there was only one explanation - gen-jutsu. The illusion wasn't as powerful as one he could create with his Sharingan, but it was still quite believable; at least, for others who were not gen-justu types.

Although Sakura had abandoned that field and changed her focus into medical nin-justu and tai-jutsu instead, she still knew a gen-jutsu when she saw one, and never had much difficulty dispelling them.

She raised her hands before her.

"Kai!"

Instantly the illusion faded away, the forest returning to it's orangey hues from the fading sunlight. Sakura sighed, wondering what else Kakashi had up his sleeve, and how much longer this was going to take. Any hope of obtaining a bell was practically gone, no matter what advantages she had, he would also be more skilled, more talented. He was already in the Bingo Book, known throughout the lands for his incredible abilities as a Konoha shinobi. No matter how hard she worked, no matter how much she tried, Sakura would never be able to compare to the silver-haired man.

The pinkette had no more time to dwell on the matter however, as a shadow to her right caught the corner of her eye. Instinctively she turned, noticing the figure that was descending on her quickly, and as he came into view, that it was Kakashi. She lifted an arm up to deflect the blow that was aimed in her direction, channelling chakra into the limb to lessen the impact and save her from injury.

When his foot collided with her arm she was pushed backwards on her heels, but did not topple over or feel much pain from the blow. Kakashi jumped back but was still facing her directly, almost as if he were waiting for her to make a move and retaliate. Unable to use any kind of nin-jutsu moves, Sakura had to rely on tai-jutsu, and attempt to land a hit on him somehow.

She rushed at him, fists charged full of chakra, but he easily dodged them every time they came in his direction. Even when she tried to throw in a kick every now and then, he would simply jump or flip out of the way. What interested Sakura was that Kakashi seldom delivered any blows back, save for a punch here and a kick there, each one sloppily executed and easy to avoid.

His somewhat refusal to fight back angered the pinkette, her punches and kicks becoming harder, faster as she grew more and more frustrated.

"Stop playing around with me and hit me back!" she shrieked at him, causing Kakashi's eye to narrow as his fist suddenly darted out and joined with her stomach, sending her flying backwards.

Her back connected with a nearby tree trunk with an audible crack, but Sakura maintained her stance and remained standing, albeit she was hunched over ever so slightly, her eyes momentarily focused on the ground before her. She was panting slightly from the sudden attack and wiped the small trail of blood that escaped through the corner of her mouth when she had made impact.

Sakura wasn't angered by the sudden and rather painful blow, knowing full well that she had demanded to be hit, and Kakashi had simply obliged.

What she didn't expect was for Kakashi to appear before her with no warning, so close that she could feel the warmth of his body permeating through his clothing and her own to settle on her skin beneath her black and now tattered dress. It had a calming effect, her muscles suddenly relaxing, her fists unclenching of their own accord, her breathing slowing down and becoming much deeper.

"You always did say if I was a ninja, that I would be a lousy one." she joked weakly in an attempt to break the tension.

"Don't say that." came the reply, Kakashi's baritone voice low.

Sakura looked up at him, viridian orbs disappearing into obsidian depths of his visible eye which was barely inches away. He was so close, near enough that all she had to do was lift her fingertips up and be able to touch him. She fought the desire to do so, knowing everything that had happened between them, and how much she had hurt him.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, her voice wavering as her chest pained once more.

Kakashi leaned his face closer to hers, his masked lips barely ghosting over her own bare ones. She could nearly taste him, his aroma filling her nostrils and causing her mouth to water, her heart to pound faster and her fingers itching to touch the scorching skin of his body. Her breathing grew heavier, coming out in rhythmic pants in time to Kakashi's own as she closed her eyes and inched forward, her hands moving up to wrap themselves around his shoulders.

A popping sound resonated through the trees as Sakura's arms met with nothing but air. Her eyes opened to find dissipating smoke before her, Kakashi nowhere to be seen. The sting of rejection coursed through her veins but she chose to ignore it, knowing that her lover's mind was most likely all over the place, and that he was clearly confused about his feelings, about her. No matter how much it hurt her, she just needed to give him more time, and when he knew exactly what he wanted, he would find her again.

Sakura leaned back against the tree, regulating her breath back to normal as the forest around her began to sound with the various noises of night, insects buzzing and chirping signalling that the sun was almost gone. Whilst she missed Kakashi's presence immensely, she knew that he would not be returning to her any time soon, and that it would be best to for her to make her way back to her room at the inn, and stay there.

For now, all she could do was keep out of his way, not push him anymore or confuse him further. He hadn't had enough time to let it all sink in and allow him to reach a decision. Their fight would have ensured that she was speaking the truth about being a shinobi, and the rest would fall into place. All Sakura could do was wait.

She lifted a hand before her eyes, admiring the small silver bell which hung from a red string entwined around her fingertip, the cool metal glinting in the brightening moonlight.

Good things always came to those who waited.

…didn't they?

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ You all know how much trouble I have with fighting/action scenes, hence why it always takes me ages to write them. Considering this chapter is full of them, it took me a few days, writing here and there, to get it done. And now it is complete! Hurrah!_

_**2.**__ I went back and watched the second bell test that Naruto and Sakura did against Kakashi at the beginning of Shippūden, and that was most of the inspiration for what happened in this chapter, how they fought, etc. I hope it reads well, it can be difficult describing actions sometimes._

_**3.**__ Realized that with the reviews I receive on each chapter, by the time we reach the last one, this story will most likely have over a thousand reviews. As it stands, this is by far my most reviewed story, and I never thought I'd have such a popular fic. I don't even know what to say except thank you my lovely readers. Each and every one of you bring a smile to my face when I read your thoughts, and I can't thank you enough for sticking with me on this crazy ride._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	21. Chapter 21

_Finally, an update that is almost on time! Because all of you are simply wonderful and if I could hug all of you, I would!_

_With this chapter, this story has officially over 100, 000 words. The only other story I have written that comes close also has 21 chapter, but only 57, 760 words. It's seriously doing my head in and I can't believe just how amazing the support has been. To those who also follow me on Tumblr, thankyou! Means a lot to me guys, and I love the interaction!_

_I've recently been interested in the idea of prompts for one-shots/drabbles (mainly for this ship), if you have an idea you'd like to see me try out, either leave it as an ask on my Tumblr (you don't have to have an account and can be anonymous, or leave your name so I can credit you with the prompt) or PM me here on the site, and I will see what I can do._

_Now onto the chapter!_

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"You may enter."

Sakura froze, her knuckles held a mere inch away from the thick wooden door, poised to knock. It hadn't been more than half an hour since she had been summoned to the Hokage's office without being told why, by a mysterious ANBU who had appeared on her doorstep.

To say that she was worried was an understatement.

It had been almost a week since Rin's funeral, and her spar with Kakashi with his spontaneous bell test. As soon as he'd disappeared and she'd managed to regain her complete coherency, she'd returned to the inn as the quickest speed she'd been able to manage without attracting too much attention. Since then, she'd rarely left her room save for when she'd had a shift at the hospital or when she'd needed to go shopping for groceries and other necessities such as more shampoo.

Had the Hokage learned of the bell test she had partaken in with Kakashi? Had she been called to his office for punishment? After all, she'd broken two of his rules, which were not engaging anyone in battle and to avoid anyone she knew extensively, which had been the silver-haired Jōnin. To be fair, she hadn't planned on it happening, and if anyone were to be blamed for her breaking The Third's orders, it should have been Kakashi.

Hoping that wasn't the case, and that she might have actually been summoned to discuss her return home, Sakura cautiously grasped the brass handle before her and opened the door, her eyes immediately meeting the aged ones of The Third, who responded to her entrance with a weary smile in her direction, which she managed to return with a shy one of her own.

It was as the door closed behind her that the pinkette realized they were not alone, her eyes sliding to the left to see the man who stood beside her, a man Sakura hadn't seen for a number of years. Yet she knew her eyes did not deceive her, the father of one of her best friends was in fact present in the room alongside her.

Yamanaka Inochi looked over to the young woman beside him as she stared at him, mild curiosity shining brightly in his aqua-hued eyes as he regarded her before shifting his focus over to the Hokage.

"Is this your time travelling kunoichi, Hokage-sama?"

Sakura's eyebrows rose at Inochi's bluntness, and was both relieved and yet surprised as she realized she had indeed been called to see The Third regarding the jutsu to return her home. However, she couldn't understand why the Jōnin had also been summoned to see the village's leader, and had obviously been informed of her situation. He was obviously involved somehow, but why that was the pinkette could not figure out, as his skills lay with jutsus of the mind, not that of space-time.

Although she wished desperately to correct Inochi that she was an actual person and not just a 'time travelling kunoichi', she bit her tongue and said nothing, choosing instead to simply observe the sandy-haired man. Ino's father had been yet another casualty of war, perishing alongside his team-mate Shikaku, the father of Shikamaru.

Ino had been inconsolable for weeks, even months afterwards, the bond between father and daughter having been a rather strong one, and even two year later, she still had difficulties dealing with the fact that her father was no longer around. The grief of losing a beloved parent had brought she and Shikamaru closer together, the two had been almost inseparable since.

And yet here Inochi stood before Sakura, alive and well, and she would have given anything to have Ino with her, to see her father once more. She quickly pushed the thought aside, knowing that there were more important matters to think about rather than a tragic event which she couldn't prevent, even if she attempted to. It was just one of the many she faced, seeing those who she knew were gone in her time, and being unable to interfere, even if it saved their life.

The burdens of being stuck in the past were heavy and Sakura was looking forward to eventually being rid of them.

The Third leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the wooden desk he sat behind, nodding his head in response to Inochi's earlier question. "This is Sakura. Sakura, this is-"

"I know Inochi-san." the pinkette interrupted, a small smile on the corners of her lips.

Inochi's eyes widened with the revelation, prompting Sakura to continue.

"Ino is one of my best friends, we are incredibly close, almost like sisters." she continued.

"I…really?" he breathed, almost as if he were having difficulty comprehending her words.

Sakura nodded. "Even if she does gossip all the time about everything and anything."

At this, Inochi stifled a chuckle, clasping a hand to his mouth.

"I always knew she'd end up more like her mother." he commented, a grin on his handsome face.

Although Sakura and Ino were close, the pinkette hadn't had a great amount of time socializing with Inochi, and therefore didn't know him incredibly well. When they had talked however, it had always been pleasant conversation, and she'd patched him up several times at the hospital, always commenting that she was mature beyond her young years.

It was pleasant to be in his company once more, and she was grateful that he didn't think less of her for the comment about his daughter and what she would be like in the future, but she couldn't help but wonder just why he was here with her, and looked over to the Hokage expectantly.

The elderly man seemed to understand the young woman's look of confusion and cleared his throat, grasping Inochi's attention with the gesture.

"I sent for you, Sakura, to inform you that we have finally discovered the jutsu which sent you here." he explained, his voice low.

The pinkette's eyebrows rose with surprise at the news. "Does this mean I can go home?"

The Third sighed. "It will take a week at most to create a counter-jutsu. Now that we have found the original technique, it is easier and will work more effectively. However, this means that will not have a lot of time to prepare for both your journey home and the aftermath that will need to be dealt with."

Confused, Sakura frowned. "Aftermath?"

"I have decided that once you have returned to your own time, all those who have interacted with you will have their memories of you erased from their minds."

She couldn't help but gasp at this revelation, despite the fact that it finally made sense why Inochi had been summoned as well. All the friends she had made, all the hard work she had done at the hospital, all of it would be forgotten.

And Kakashi…

No, she refused to think about that right now.

"So no-one will remember that I was ever here in this time?"

The Third sighed. "That is correct. It is only a precaution, Sakura. Questions will arise when you suddenly disappear with no explanation, and especially when they come across you at a later time and you appear to be exactly the same as when they knew you now."

Sakura's eyes dropped to the floor. It made sense, but she still found it unfortunate that her entire time in the past would never be remembered.

Her head rose again, her eyes meeting with the Hokage's. "What about me? Will my mind be erased too?"

The thought frightened her, that months of her life would simply disappear, that everything she had done and accomplished would be forgotten. Her first kiss, the loss of her virginity, everything she had shared with Kakashi…she didn't want to forget those times, even if he would.

"No, you will need to keep your memories for when you return to your own time. As soon as you arrive, you are to brief the Hokage of your time on what has happened. I am writing up the details in a scroll for when the time comes, as I will also have my memories erased. Once you have spoken to your Hokage, you may choose to forget, that will your decision."

So the Hokage would know of this? Sakura couldn't help but wonder if Tsunade already knew about her apprentice's trip to the past. She hoped not, if her shishou had indeed already read the scroll, she should have done everything to prevent Sakura from being attacked by that rogue ninja and sent to the past. Nothing good could have ever come from this trip, only pain and sadness.

The only thing that came close was Kakashi, and all of that was now over and practically irreparable. She'd hurt him so much, and in turn hurt herself.

Once again finding herself lost in her thoughts, Sakura focused on the Hokage once more.

"During these last few days, I think it would be wise to keep to yourself and make yourself scarce in the village. Take this time to prepare yourself for your journey, both emotionally and mentally. Readjusting to your own time may take a while, especially as you have been here for several months, and I want to make sure you are completely ready before I send you back." The Third told her, looking more tired than she remembered.

"If you choose to forget your time here once you return home, feel free to approach me and I will do the procedure. I'll be the only one who will retain my memories of you ever being here." Inochi spoke up, offering the pinkette a small smile.

"Thankyou, Inochi-san." Sakura replied weakly, suddenly feeling physically ill as she remembered that he was no longer around in her time.

"You may go Sakura. I will summon you again when it is time." The Third gestured to the door, indicating that he had more to discuss with Inochi once she had left.

Silently she complied, closing the door behind her with a heavy sigh. Her mind was out of control, thoughts here and there about an array of subjects, emotions, ponderings.

Making her way outside and down the giant flight of stairs that lead to the street, Sakura couldn't help but feel excited about the prospect of seeing all her friends again. She'd missed them all colossally, even if she'd never freely admitted it. Not knowing how much time would have passed between her leaving and returning home, she wondered if they had also missed her presence.

She found herself craving a dinner at Ramen Ichiraku, sitting between Naruto and Sai as they shared a battle of words in between slurps of ramen. She mentally made a note to have a day of shopping with Ino, and find out how things between she and Shikamaru had been progressing.

However, one of the first things she would have to do was go and see Kakashi, her sensei. There was no doubt in her mind that things between them would be altered, all on her end as she would be able to remember everything that had occurred between them, the kisses, the embraces, the intimacy and feelings. He wouldn't know any of that, he'd just see her as silly Haruno Sakura, nothing more than just his student.

Avoiding him would be impossible, and so the best thing she could do was see him as soon as she returned and get the awkwardness out of the way. She was hoping that seeing the older incarnation would somehow shift her feelings for him and they would cease completely, that she would once again see him as her sensei and not the young man who had not only stolen her first kiss, but also her heart.

She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind, her head almost starting to hurt from over thinking. Tonight she would take it easy, have a lovely long bath and refrain from any strenuous thoughts before she went to bed, or otherwise she would have no chance of sleep. With this resolution, a smile appeared on her face as her pace quickened.

The sun was setting across the village, lanterns being lit across the streets as Sakura walked through the village, enjoying the oncoming night air. Sunset had always been her favourite time of day, the multitude of pinks, purples and oranges that spread across the sky were the prettiest colours she'd ever come across, and no matter how diligently someone tried, they could never quite recreate those hues to perfection.

Soon, she would be home, where everything made sense and she could finally find some peace once more.

* * *

It wasn't long until Sakura reached the inn, managing a quick greeting to the owner before she climbed up the wooden stairs to her room, suddenly finding herself wondering if she should pack the items she had accumulated in this time or not. Would they be transported along with her? If her clothes did, why not a back-pack full of objects? Keepsakes from this journey to the past that only she would remember, things she did not have the heart to leave behind?

As she reached her door, her ears picked up a sudden creaking noise coming from the other side of the wood. Instantly her hand went to her boot, withdrawing the hidden kunai which had been concealed within the secret compartment. Luckily for her, Kakashi had not returned to collect the weapons pouch he had given her for their impromptu bell test, and she had made sure to keep a kunai on her at all times, just in case.

Hearing noises from her room, which was meant to be currently unoccupied, counted as one of those times that having a weapon may come in handy.

Cautiously, she slowly reached for the brass doorknob, taking a moment to inhale a deep breath of air before she speedily turned the knob, opened the door and burst into the room, kunai poised in front of her torso as the door swung closed behind her.

The room was veiled in darkness, the curtains shielding the moonlight from illumination. Although she was practically blind without any source of light, she could sense a secondary presence that lurked in the shadows, and that whoever they were, they were keenly focused on her, waiting; but for what, she didn't know, and wasn't exactly eager to find out.

"I know you're there, and I'm giving you three seconds to show your face before I rip it off." she growled, her voice low as her eyes tried to scan the area.

"I'd like to see you try."

The kunai slipped from Sakura's hands, dropping to the wooden floor with a loud clang-like noise. That voice had echoed in her head for nights and days on end, soothing and calm yet infuriating and confusing all at the same time.

She heard a small click and suddenly the light flooded the room, causing Sakura to hold a hand over her face, shielding her eyes as the pupils attempted to adjust. Blinking a few times, she dropped her hand back to her side, meeting the sight of her intruder, confirming her suspicions of his identity.

"How did you-"

"Window." came his swift response.

Trying to ignore the fact that her heart was pounding wildly and felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest at any second, Sakura's eyes moved from his figure to the nearby window, noticing that the curtain had been pulled aside ever so slightly. She could have sworn she had locked those before leaving to see the Hokage.

The tension in the room was so thick it could have been cut cleanly with a knife. To say she was surprised to see him was an understatement; then again, he seemed to take a perchance of showing up here and there without the slightest hint of a warning.

"Kakashi, I thought I warned you about not making a habit of climbing through people's windows."

Her tone was light and airy as she teased him, but the strain behind her words could be heard clear as day.

Kakashi said nothing, his arms folded as he leaned against the wall on the other side of the room, facing her. Sakura was at a loss what to do or what to say, especially as he had been the one to approach her, and clearly wanted to something to do with her. If not, he would have left the instant he heard her footsteps approaching.

"You left so suddenly the other day, I didn't have a chance to give you this." Sakura attempted conversation again, reaching over to the nearby table and presenting Kakashi with the small silver bell she had managed to capture, dangling from the thin red sting that was entwined around her finger.

His obsidian orb focused upon it, with such a ferocious intensity that startled the pinkette. Hadn't he noticed that she had taken it, or that it had even been missing? He'd had the chance to reclaim it when he had entered her room, it wasn't as if she had hidden it from sight. Did it hold any kind of significance for him?

"I heard that you'll be going home soon." Kakashi spoke suddenly, his voice deep and low, breaking Sakura from her thoughts.

She frowned slightly as she leaned back in the small kitchenette counter and placed the bell in her pocket. It was obvious that the silver-haired Jōnin must have overheard that information somewhere or done something in order to obtain it, the Hokage had been adamant that they no longer spend time with one another or interact on any level. There would have been no reason for the aged man to tell the younger.

That, and the fact that Kakashi had an eerie talent for having not only an incredible sense of smell, but extraordinary hearing.

"The Hokage said the counter-jutsu should be complete in about a week." Sakura replied awkwardly, unsure of what to really say to him.

Silence filled the room, she on one end and he on the other, viridian and obsidian staring into one another's depths. Her body ached to be near his, to feel the scorching heat of his skin and to be surrounded by his spicy aroma, to be held in those muscular limbs and never be let go. Her fingernails dug into the wood of the counter she was leaning against, almost as if she were anchoring herself for fear of leaping across the room and throwing herself into his arms. She finally managed to tear her eyes away from his sole one, choosing instead to focus on the floor beneath her feet in hope that her mind would be eased from the painful thoughts of the man who stood opposite her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Her head snapped up instantly, eyes wide and mouth agape with shock. She took a moment to figure out if she had actually heard those words fall from his masked lips, his voice had been barely a whisper and she wasn't sure if she had simply imagined it. But her mind conceded that he had, in fact, apologized to her.

Kakashi exhaled and then continued. "I should have believed you earlier when you told me about your…situation. No matter how peculiar it sounded, I should have had more faith in you, especially considering the nature of our relationship at that point. I don't know why I acted like a complete fool, you shouldn't have had to endure my behaviour. I guess it was just too much for my brain to handle, with everything else that had occurred at that time, losing Rin…"

"No, it's me who should be apologizing." Sakura interrupted him, shaking her head violently. "I had to lie to you, it's no wonder you didn't believe me. You had every right to be upset, furious with me. I broke your trust, and that's not what friends are supposed to do. Well, I know that we weren't exactly friends, we were something more, and that's what makes it even worse."

She dropped her gaze to the floor once more before her hands rose to cover her face.

"If I had been more open and honest with you, Rin…she might not have died. If you knew that I was a shinobi, you would have been complacent with having her on your team instead of myself for that mission." she continued, her voice muffled beneath her fingers.

"You simply did as you were told, to hide your true identity to protect yourself. Even though Rin was a talented kunoichi, there was every possibility she could have still perished on that mission if she had gone with me instead. There's no way of knowing what might have been, and nothing we can do about that now, no matter how much we wish we could."

Sakura lifted her face from her hands, her eyes watery but no tears had fallen. The guilt had consumed her ever since Rin's death, and she had been so certain that once Kakashi found out the truth about her identity, he would blame her for it. Yet his words said otherwise, almost as if he had reached some kind of peace about what had occurred.

"This whole situation is complex, more than I think any of us can imagine. Now that I know about you, who you really are and the fact that you don't belong in this time…it's complicating my feelings for you. I'm more confused these days than I think I have ever been in my life." he laughed weakly.

Sakura nodded weakly, knowing exactly how he felt. Her own feelings towards him were just as complex, perhaps even more so with the complication of coming face to face with his older incarnation, her sensei, knowing everything that had occurred between them when he would not remember a thing. The dread of seeing her sensei once she returned home pooled in the pit of her stomach, making it lurch uncomfortably.

"Where you come from…in the future…do you know me?"

She had been dreading this question, and hadn't adequately prepared to answer him. On one hand, she could have revealed everything, that she would eventually become his student and he her sensei, but that ran the risk of being too much information to handle. Despite the fact that he would forget everything she would say to him, Sakura still didn't want to face any more awkward questions, choosing to keep this interaction as calm as possible.

"Yes." she admitted, biting her bottom lip.

"Do I know you?" came the next inquiry.

"We've worked together before." Sakura answered slowly, trying not to outright lie to Kakashi, but also attempting to reveal as little as possible. "You've always been very focused on our missions so I've never really gotten to know you. I've always admired you however, have since I was young."

That was incredibly truthful. Sakura had always believed she and her sensei to be close, but she'd learned more about him in a matter of months from the younger version than in six years from the older incarnation.

"I see." was his short response.

The tension between them returned swiftly, along with the silence. Sakura wasn't sure what she was to say or do, she wasn't sure if Kakashi was going to take his leave or not. He did not budge from his spot on the wall, nor did his gaze tear itself away from her own. Time passed at what appeared to be a glacial pace as they focused on one another until finally Kakashi spoke once more.

"I don't know what to do." he murmured, just loud enough for Sakura to hear from the other side of the room.

"About what?" she queried, curiosity getting the better of her.

His eye moved from hers, focusing on the plush red curtain that hung over the nearby window.

"I know that we…what we had…we can't be together as you'll be leaving soon, but," Kakashi returned his gaze to the pinkette, "I don't want to pretend like nothing is there, between us, because I know you feel it just as much as I do. As soon as I found out you were returning home I knew I had to see you, talk to you, just be around you, especially as I don't have much time left to do those things."

Sakura tried her best to fight off the tears that welled in her eyes and threatened to spill. Her chest hurt with every breath she took, her heart painful with every beat. She didn't want to feign that her feelings for Kakashi did not exist, but there was no way she could allow herself to express them further, not when she only had a few days left here in this time, with him.

She knew she should never had fallen for him in the first place, that any romantic thoughts or feelings should have been locked away instantly with no chance of ever being experienced. Selfishly, she'd allowed herself to fall even further without taking the necessary precautions, pulling them both deeper and deeper into this dark whole where there seemed to be no chance of escape.

By falling for Kakashi, she was hurting him, a pain she could not heal with her extraordinary medical nin-jutsu.

"When I leave, everyone who has interacted with me extensively will have all memories of me wiped from their mind. As soon as I go home, you won't remember that I was here, that I even existed. Even if we did allow ourselves to be together for these last few days, it won't make a difference, because you will forget." Sakura explained, her voice wavering slightly.

"I want to enjoy as much of this time left with you as I can. I might not remember it, but you will, and that counts for something. You will hold our memories close to your heart, and you will never forget what we have shared. I can't just sit around and wait until you go, not when all I can think about is you, and being with you."

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall, striding across the floor until he stood directly in front of Sakura. One hand moved to clasp her upper arm gently, the other to his face where he hooked a finger into his mask and pulled it down, revealing his face once more to her, causing the pinkette's heart to skip a beat as she caught sight of her lover's features once more.

"Please, Sakura."

She raised a hand to his bare cheek, caressing it softly with her fingertips as she attempted to hold back her tears. All she wanted was to be with him, and he with her, for the last few days they would spend together. It took her no time to reach a conclusion as she pushed herself up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around Kakashi's shoulders, pulling him towards her as their lips met with one another's, the feeling of pure bliss erupting through her body as their kisses grew more passionate, their embraces tighter.

Sakura would carry the burden for the rest of her life, knowing what had occurred between them when he would not, but it was a burden she found herself more than willing to carry if it meant just a few more days being with her lover.

Even if it would break her heart when it came time for her to return home.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ This should make up for the general lack of KakaSaku of the last few chapters. Sadness and tension but also kisses and feels. So many feels._

_**2.**__ I know this story isn't canon, no matter how much I tried to make it so in the beginning before Kishimoto decided to finally explain things (mostly about Rin) that kind of mucked up my efforts, but I wanted to keep some things the same, such as Neji's death, and that of Inochi and Shikaku. I guess I consider them more like small memorials to these kick-ass characters, I just hope Kishi doesn't decide to kill anyone else. (Kakashi is strictly off-limits, you already killed him once, and although you brought him back to life and therefore saved your own, a second time might be your downfall Kishimoto.)_

_**3.**__ Part of me is looking forward to sharing the last few chapters with you guys, the other part of me doesn't want to story to end, especially as we only have a few chapters left. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever reach this point, especially when I still have four other stories which have been on here for years and are nowhere near completion. Not long to go now though, so keep your eyes peeled for the next update!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	22. Chapter 22

_I apologise for the super late update, been incredibly sick with tonsillitis (joy) and another upcoming house inspection (more joy). Also don't have much internet left for this month, so chances are the next update will be in the first few days of February, depending on how long it takes/when I'm able to write it. I'll try and get it to you as soon as I can, especially as there's not long to go until the end! Exciting stuff (although I'm going to severely miss writing this fic)!_

_I have a few other ideas in my mind for new KakaSaku stories, so once Unbroken is finished, keep an eye out for those. I also recently posted up a one-shot for an upcoming New Years themed competition on DeviantArt, it's called 'Traditions' and I'd be super thrilled if you took a peek at that as well. I seriously love this community and I think it's safe to say that I'll be sticking around for a while. _

_To all my new reviewers/followers/favourites, thank you so much for taking an interest in the story, even if there are only a few chapters to go. I still love that I'm getting new readers, makes my day every time I get a notification and really makes me want to write even more. Those who have stuck with me since the first chapter was uploaded and those who review practically every chapter - you guys are seriously amazing and I can't believe how lucky I am to receive such support. I write this story for you, and with every chapter it almost grows into it being my way of saying 'thank you'._

_Now, here is some Kakashi and Sakura goodness._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Kakashi was running late.

Usually that wouldn't surprise Sakura, but this was the younger incarnation of her sensei, the one who was always on time and prompt. Her eyes glanced over to the clock on the wall once more, noting that it was five minutes past six o'clock, and that her silver-haired lover should have arrived by now.

Every evening for the past week, Kakashi had come to her room at the inn after finishing his duties and would spend the night, leaving early the next morning. They were attempting to keep their romance a secret, although Sakura had a suspicion that the Hokage was already aware of their continued interaction and had simply chosen to turn a blind eye to it.

After all, the lovers did not have much time left to be with one another, and were determined to spend as much of it as they could together.

As she chopped up the remaining vegetables for that night's meal, Sakura couldn't help but bask in how wonderful the time with Kakashi had been. Each night they had stayed up late talking, getting to know one another better; although there hadn't been anything physical since the first time. She was nervous to bring it up and suggest that they become intimate once more, despite how much she yearned to be that close to the silver-haired Jōnin again.

Shaking her head in a bid to remove the thought, her eyes moved up to the clock. He was now ten minutes late. Luckily, dinner wasn't quite ready yet.

As she finished dicing up the vegetables and placed them in the large pot of soup that was simmering away on the small stove, Sakura looked down at her hands, knowing they needed to be cleaned. Kakashi would arrive anytime soon, but she had figured that she had the time to quickly wash up before he appeared.

She headed into the bathroom and moved over to the sink, turning on the tap as she placed her hands underneath the warm water. Grabbing the nearby bar of soap, she lathered her palms and digits, making sure to clean them thoroughly; a habit that she had picked up from working at the hospital for so long. Once she was satisfied that her hands were sanitary enough, she rinsed them under the water before turning off the tap and picking up the nearby handtowel, drying them as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.

The girl she saw before her and the girl who had first appeared in that very same mirror were two completely different people. Sakura was astounded to see that her cheeks now contained a healthy glow, her eyes sparkling in a way she'd never seen; a definite improvement from the bleary-eyed, red-nosed girl she had been when she had first arrived in this time.

The pinkette knew exactly who had caused the significant change, and as his name echoed in her mind, the girl in the mirror's lips quirked suddenly before beaming into a blissful grin.

Strangely enough, her journey into the past had turned into something more that she'd never expected. For the first time in her life, she felt thoroughly content within herself. Of course, she missed training and her true career as both a medic and kunoichi, but somehow it just didn't seem as important as being with Kakashi. She'd never experienced such elation than simply being in his arms, having him close.

Yet, she knew in the back of her mind that her bliss was going to end very shortly.

A voice inside her mind posed the possibility of staying in the past, and it was something she had been pondering for days now, but had never voiced it to Kakashi. No matter how much she wished she could remain with him and be by his side for the rest of their lives, she knew she had to return to her own time, to restore the natural balance of time and everything within it.

Staying would be selfish, no matter how badly Sakura wished she could. The consequences of doing so for her own happiness could be dire.

Glancing at her reflection once more, the pinkette was surprised to see that it had been altered yet again. The smile was gone, the corners of her mouth turned downwards. The glow in her cheeks had noticeably faded, the sparkle in her viridian orbs dulled with sadness. As Sakura gazed at herself, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation come bearing down on her all at once, that when she returned home, everything that had happened in this time would have to be forgotten.

She was determined not to dwell on such things, not when there was only precious little time left to be with Kakashi.

With that resolve, she sauntered back over to the kitchenette, pleased to see that the soup was coming along well, and would only have a few more minutes until it was ready.

The only question was: _where was Kakashi?_

"Smells amazing."

Sakura didn't have much time to wonder about the absence of her lover as strong arms wrapped themselves across her abdomen, a sudden heat emitting from behind her as warm air fanned across the nape of her neck, causing her to giggle lightly as she leaned back slightly.

"It should do, I've been slaving away all afternoon cooking." she grinned, gently grasping the hands on her waist with her own.

"I wasn't talking about the food, but now that you mention it, it smells pretty good as well." Kakashi chuckled

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully. "I was wondering where you had gotten to. I was worried I'd have to send out a search party."

Kakashi sighed, tickling Sakura's ear softly. "My apologies. Gai somehow managed to track me down and challenged me to another one of his races around the village. It took some time but I finally succeeded in convincing him to delay the race until tomorrow at lunchtime, as I had somewhere to be."

"Well, you better make sure to have a good meal beforehand, you're going to need the energy." Sakura told him as she stirred the soup before quickly tasting a small spoonful.

"What are you making?" Kakashi inquired, peering down at the pot over the pinkette's shoulder.

"Miso soup with tofu, negi and eggplant." she replied with a secretive smirk.

The Jōnin's visible eye widened behind her. "That's one of my favourite dishes."

"And it's ready." Sakura announced with a smirk. "Go and take a seat and I'll serve it up."

The hands around her waist slowly disappeared along with the warmth, and Sakura found herself missing his presence almost immediately. She focused instead on serving up the soup in two large bowls with spoons and carried them over to the small table in the middle of the room, placing one down before Kakashi before taking a seat opposite him and setting down the bowl in front of herself.

"This looks and smells delicious." Kakashi exclaimed as he quickly pulled down his mask, gracing Sakura with the view of his bare features once more.

Despite the fact that she'd seen his uncovered face many times over the past few days, the breathtaking effect it had on her was still as powerful as ever. Kakashi was by far the most handsome man she had ever come across, much more so than Sasuke had ever been in her eyes. Whilst she couldn't understand why he hid his attractiveness behind his dark blue mask, part of her was grateful that he did; she couldn't stand to think how many women and even men would lust after him if they saw just how alluring the copy-nin actually was.

Eating across from Kakashi and actually seeing his face was definitely something she hadn't quite become accustomed to. Usually the older incarnation had a book in front of his face, one of the titles from the Icha Icha series, shielding his features so he could eat without everyone gawking at him. However, this time there was no book.

In fact, Sakura hadn't seen any of those books recently.

"Have you read any of the Icha Icha novels?" she inquired, sipping on a spoonful of soup.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of them."

Well, that was certainly not the answer she had been expecting. As far as she knew, Kakashi's fondness for the erotic fictions had been going on for years in her time, he was practically obsessed with the series. Her curiosity was peaking, she desperately wished to know what had started his fascination.

"They're written by Jiraiya-sensei. I haven't personally read any but I've heard they're actually quite good. My sensei always has one of the books on him at all times." Sakura explained, choosing her words carefully.

"You've mentioned your sensei a few times, he sounds like a peculiar man." Kakashi noted, cocking his head to the side.

"It's one of his many charms I guess. He seems like the strangest being, and yet he is one of the most incredible shinobi I have ever met, so determined and clever, one of our village's best. However he's always been so aloof and withdrawn, not to mention late to everything. He's never been on time since I've met him, and yet in battle he always appears when I need him to." she admitted, swiftly consuming her soup.

Kakashi leaned forward. "It sounds like you two are close."

The pinkette couldn't help but frown slightly. "We would be if he were more open and less reclusive."

Over the years, she'd reached out to Kakashi numerous times but nothing had ever happened. He still remained as solitary as ever, closed up about his feelings and his past. It was only now with the younger version that she was really learning about him, and just who he really was. Even then, there were some things she had only learned through Rin. If they had more time together, perhaps she would be able to get to know him properly, completely. Unfortunately, that didn't seem like it was going to happen.

"Do you know how old he is? I might know him."

Sakura was torn from her thoughts by Kakashi's comment, panic beginning to set in. She couldn't simply give him any name; if it were someone he knew, he'd most likely refute it, and if it was a name she thought up on the spot, he'd claim there was no-one with that name in the village and become suspicious.

"I've already said enough, I should probably stop talking." she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"What's the harm in knowing? My memories of this conversation are eventually going to be erased anyway so I won't remember any of it."

His curiosity had once again gotten the best of Kakashi, and his words stung Sakura deeply, although he didn't seem to be aware of their effect. She hated being reminded that he was going to forget everything about her, the conversations and the moments they had shared. It was always on her mind but she made a conscious effort to push them to the back, focusing instead on allowing herself to be blissful and happy with the silver-haired man.

All she could do at that moment was think about the fact that everything she was doing would shortly be forgotten and exist only in her memories, and hers alone.

Sakura said nothing to him in response, instead standing up and picking up the now-empty bowls before taking them to the kitchenette sink. Turning on the tap, she rinsed them both out, not paying attention to Kakashi as he realized his mistake and moved behind her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said such a thing." he murmured into her hair before turning her around so they were facing one another. "Come on."

He took her hand and led her over to the bed, taking a seat upon it with his back up against the wall. Sakura followed suit, sitting before him before she leaned backwards, resting the back of her head on his shoulder as his arms moved to wrap around her waist once more. Every night they resumed this position, the pinkette in Kakashi's arms as they talked about anything and everything, often they would just sit in silence, simply enjoying each other's company.

His presence was soothing, and soon Sakura found herself forgetting all about his words.

Neither of them spoke for an hour, the silence only being broken when Kakashi's lips brushed across her forehead; the one part of her body she had always been so self-conscious about in her youth. She fought off a giggle, but he had felt the slight rumble of laughter in her abdomen.

"What's so funny?" he inquired curiously.

"I've never liked my forehead. In fact, when I was younger, I was teased mercilessly because of it's size. I tried everything I could to cover it up, even long bangs to make it seem smaller, but all that ever did was accentuate how large it was." she explained, thinking back to her younger years and the relentless teasing she endured.

Kakashi moved his fingers to Sakura's chin and tilted her head back gently so she could look up at him before leaning forward and kissing her forehead once more.

"It's beautiful." he whispered, smiling down at her.

Sakura could feel her cheeks beginning to flush with heat. "I'm not as self-conscious about it anymore, because of my friends. They never saw it as something to be worried about, Ino was the one who said that the more I tried to hide it, the more obvious it was that I detested it. She gave me the confidence I needed to get over my insecurities. And with everything that I have achieved with my life, the size of my forehead just seems insignificant now."

"It sounds like you have amazing friends."

"They are." Sakura commented, knowing just how lucky she was to have such incredibly people in her life. "I mean, Ino's nickname for me is Forehead, but I know it's just out of endearment. And I call her Pig, so we are kind of even." she added with a small chuckle.

Every day she missed everyone just a little bit more, especially Sai, Ino and Naruto. She was looking forward to seeing them again, to have them around in her life once more. Their absence had been duly noted, and although Sakura knew she wouldn't be able to talk about what had happened to her, she knew each one of them would be getting a great big hug when she returned.

Ino would most likely see the gesture as strange and probably conclude that Sakura was drunk, Sai would be at a loss for words and unsure on how to proceed but see it as some kind of bonding exercise, and Naruto would most likely squeeze her tightly and be utterly delighted that she would embrace him in such a way.

"Yamanaka Ino? Inochi's little girl? She seems a bit snooty, and she's only four." Kakashi remarked amusedly.

"Yeah, Ino and I clashed a bit in our younger years, we were rivals in love, head over heels for the same boy. But over time, we grew up together, and became closer. She still has her moments, but she's grown up a lot, especially in the last few years." Sakura replied sadly, knowing that her friend had lost both her sensei and father in the same year, and had matured dramatically as she dealt with those losses.

"Being in our line of work, it forces you to grow up rather quickly." Kakashi agreed, his voice quieter than usual.

"We still have our immature moments, especially Naruto. He has these moments where he is serious and stoic and you can't help but admire him, and the next he's acting like a complete and utter child, babbling on excitedly about ramen."

Sakura wasn't ashamed to admit that out of everyone, she missed Naruto the most. He was by far the closest to her, and like a beloved brother. Not having his stupidly grinning face in her life for the past few months had been incredibly tough for her, she missed their daily interactions, even when he irritated her to no end.

"So you and Naruto are close?" Kakashi asked tentatively.

Sakura smiled sadly. "He's my best friend. He's the most kind and generous person I know, even if he can be a complete idiot sometimes. There's no evil in his heart, he's nothing but good and it hurts me to see how people have treated him his entire life. When I was younger I didn't understand what was going on, I wasn't able to comprehend it. But now that I'm older and I'm seeing with my own eyes how he was treated when he was young, it just about breaks my heart."

Kakashi sighed. "I think I know now why you acted in such a way that day when we came across him. The way you threw your hand out my grasp, that you were so determined to stick up for him and be kind, despite the fact that everyone was staring and whispering."

"Why do they treat him like that? He's only four in this time, with no parents; why doesn't anyone take the time to be kind to him?"

"It's not that the villagers dislike Naruto, it's that they fear what is contained within him."

"The Kyuubi." she breathed.

The silver-haired Jōnin nodded. "They are terrified that it will break free once more and wreak havoc on the village again. We lost many that night, even the lives of our Hokage and his wife. That was four years ago, and only now are some of the villagers finally moving on from their losses."

Sakura shifted in Kakashi's arms. "I still don't understand why everyone treats him so horribly. He had nothing to do with the attack, if anything he's a victim, having lost both his parents. That should have helped the villagers understand him a little better, have some sympathy. Why must they be so despicable towards him?"

"In hopes that he will stay away from everyone, and some are trying to make him leave Konoha so it will be safe. There are also those who are just cruel people and act atrociously towards him because everyone else does, not knowing the reasons why." he clarified.

"What about you? You told me to stay away from him."

Kakashi hung his head. "That is not one of my proudest moments, and certainly one I regret. I am one of the few who knows the truth of Naruto's circumstances, and yet I have been wary of the boy, the risk of the bijuu being released again has caused me to keep my distance."

Sakura sat up and turned to the side so she could properly look at him, and was stunned to see the guilt and regret etched deeply into his features. For a moment, he looked years beyond his actual age, most likely similar to the Kakashi of her own time, although she had never seen the older incarnation's bare face and therefore wasn't able to make a proper assumption.

"I give you my word that it doesn't happen. In fact, Naruto has saved the entire village from being completely wiped out. If it wasn't for him, Konoha in my time would have been completely destroyed, and I wouldn't be here right now." she insisted, noting the look of surprise on her lover's face. "In my time, Naruto is the hero of the village. He and Kurama have even formed some kind of bond, and get along with one another. I think it's safe to say that he's the most powerful shinobi the world has ever known."

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, obviously letting the information sink in. Although he would eventually forget the conversation, Sakura was glad she could tell him, and set his mind at ease, even if it was only for a short while. In time, he would witness the greatness of his student, and be there to help Naruto on his journey as he evolved into the amazing shinobi he was in Sakura's time.

"Somehow, I always knew he would achieve greatness. Afterall, he is Minato-sensei's son, and if he believed in Naruto, then I will too."

Sakura had forgotten that Naruto's father, the Fourth Hokage, had been Kakashi's teacher. It was almost eerie that he would be chosen to be Naruto's sensei in turn, and yet, it seemed right. She didn't know much about Namikaze Minato, save for what had been documented in books and files, and the stories that her elders had shared. She knew that Naruto had met him once in his subconscious, the result of Minato sealing some of his own chakra into his son when he also contained Kurama. Even his mother's chakra had been sealed within him too, and Naruto had met her a little while later. Hearing the stories of these meetings had swelled Sakura's heart, but she also wished that he had been able to have more time with them. Then again, she wished they were both still alive to see what their son had accomplished in his eighteen years.

"What was Namikaze Minato like?" Sakura queried, settling back into Kakashi's warm arms.

"He was the most talented man I've ever met, a genius in his own right. The quickest shinobi alive, he didn't earn the name 'The Yellow Flash of Konoha' for nothing. He was sincere and truly kind, after my old man passed away, Minato-sensei was almost like a surrogate father to me, even as I got older. He and Kushina were always inviting me over for dinner, fussing over me…I miss him terribly. Both of them, actually. Kushina was always so sweet, even if she was a little temperamental at times."

Sakura gently stroked Kakashi's arm that was wrapped around her waist. "I'm sorry Kakashi."

"I've learned that I can't dwell on it, with all the losses I've experienced, I'd most likely go insane if I did. I just wish that Naruto could have met his parents, that they could have been around as he grew up, seen what kind of man he would become." he spoke softly, his grasp around Sakura tightening slightly.

She could feel the sadness surrounding them almost like a bubble, the frown on her lips unable to be removed. Her mind was racing but no words escaped her mouth, she had no idea just what to say to Kakashi, and didn't want to make things worse. Instead, she stayed silent and content in his embrace, focusing her mind on how warm his skin was, how delicious his aroma smelt and how badly she wanted to remain like that.

"I feel so safe when I'm in your arms. I wish you would never let go." she breathed, unsure if Kakashi had heard her.

"I never want to." he murmured in return, pressing his lips against the soft skin of her neck, causing her breathing to hitch.

"Kakashi-"

Sakura was interrupted by a sudden pounding at the door, breaking both of them out of the moment, much to the pinkette's annoyance. It was getting rather late at night, who on earth would come visiting at such an hour?

_Unless…_

As the horror surged through her veins, she turned to Kakashi, who had seemly frozen in place, the realization clear as day on his face. His obsidian orb met with her viridian ones, almost begging her not to answer the door, his grip around her tightening. Sakura felt her chest tighten as the sorrow appeared on his features, her heart beating painfully as each second ticked by.

"I have to." she responded sadly in a whisper to his unspoken words, holding a hand up to caress his cheek.

Defeated, Kakashi slowly retracted his arms to his sides, allowing Sakura access to clamber off the bed and stride over to the door.

As she reached out for the handle, she noticed that her hand was visibly shaking. In her head, she attempted to convince herself that maybe it was a routine clean-up for the inn, or perhaps a visitor with the wrong door number. It was too soon, they hadn't had enough time. Surely it was a mistake, one that she and Kakashi would be laughing off in just a few minutes.

Taking in a deep breath, she finally opened the door, dread flooding her body as she caught sight of the bird-like mask that greeted her gaze.

"You have been summoned to the Hokage's office." the ANBU informed her sternly.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to slam the door close and return to Kakashi's arms, but she knew deep down that she had to see The Third. She couldn't even bring herself to turn around and look at her lover, knowing the despair she would see in his face would shatter her completely. Instead, she merely nodded and slipped on her shoes before following the ANBU, closing the door quietly behind her, knowing Kakashi would remain until she returned.

* * *

The ANBU swiftly opened the door before her and gestured for her to enter the room, Sakura forcing herself to take those last few steps to her fate. Crossing the threshold into the Hokage's office felt as if it had been the most difficult and toughest thing she'd ever forced herself to do, each step heavier than the last. Her knees felt as if they were to buckle, all she wanted to do was escape. As the door closed behind her with a deafening thud that resounded loudly in her eardrums, she instantly felt trapped with no way out.

She wasn't ready for this. Not yet. Surely she had more time, they had more time.

Sakura raised her gaze to meet the dark, aged eyes of the Hokage, who immediately frowned as he caught sight of her face, the emotions that she was experiencing displayed clearly in her delicate features. The fear, the sorrow, the pain, the anguish. She was obviously anxious about what he had to say, and it was evident that she knew just what those words would be. Still, he had to confirm the situation, make it real.

They had been waiting for this. There was nothing they could do. This was the finishing point.

The Third sighed audibly.

"The counter-jutsu is complete."

She dropped her head.

"It's time to go home, Sakura."

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ This chapter took me forever, especially as I was coughing my guts up as I wrote it and often kept losing my train of thought. I think I'm definitely better with angst, drama and tension then with general fluff. _

_**2.**__ A little shorter and crappier than usual and I apologize. The next few chapters should be much better, because they have all the exciting things happening, and it's what the story has been leading up to. I'm excited for the end (and sad too), are you?_

_**3.**__ Cliffhanger, yay! Seems like it's been a while since I've had one of those…which makes me wonder, which one do you think has been so best so far? The most agonizing one? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that!_

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated!_


	23. Chapter 23

_I was hoping to get this update done as soon as my internet refreshed, but I had difficulty writing it up. I actually had the majority of it done but I really didn't like what I had written, and so I started the whole thing again, which is resulted in what you're reading now. I can tell you with honesty that it is much, much better._

_A big thankyou to LolaLot for helping me out yesterday, I super appreciate it! :D_

_Can't believe how close this story is to a thousand reviews! I never imagined such a response when I first started writing this, and I am so thankful for all the interest and encouragement. I certainly hope that even after this story is complete, you will still continue to support my other stories as I write them, and trust me, there will be many, many more._

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The streets were surprisingly empty.

As Sakura trudged through the village, each step growing heavier and wearier than the last, she wrapped her pale arms around herself in an attempt to keep warm. The night air had become chilly, causing several shivers to run through her petite body. When had the weather lost it's comfortable balminess? She hadn't been overly aware of the sudden cool change.

Aside from the cold, she felt nothing but complete numbness. It had consumed her emotions as her mind ran rampant within her skull, aching with thoughts that she pushed aside, unable to deal with them. She wasn't ready to deal with this, note yet; despite knowing that it was coming, that she should have prepared herself.

Her destination was her room at the inn, to face the man within it's wooden walls, but she found herself in no hurry to return. Not when once she arrived, she would have to experience one of the most daunting situations she could have imagined. Sakura was never one for goodbyes, and this would be the worst she would ever have to endure by far. How was she supposed to farewell her lover when they had come so far to finally be together, only to be torn apart forever; his memories stripped from his mind whilst she would have to continue on being constantly haunted by them?

The entirety of the situation she had landed herself in had hit her hard. She knew being in the past was treacherous enough, but forming a relationship had made it a thousand times worse. Leaving the life she had built for herself here behind when she returned home was always going to take some readjusting to, but now that she had only mere hours left, she knew it was going to take a lot more than that, the possibility of emotional and mental scarring definite.

She could feel the pit of her stomach dropping unsettlingly, a physical manifestation of the guilt and grief she was holding back within herself. Sakura had always known that when this time came, when she finally had to depart, she would find it exceptionally challenging. Somehow, she'd honestly believed she had more time, although there was a voice in the back of her mind that constantly reminded her that was not the case, that she would have to leave sooner than she thought. And sure enough, the time had finally come, and all she wanted to do was hide herself in a corner and never face the world again. The notion was childish, Sakura knew this, but it didn't make it any less tempting. Being an adult meant having responsibilities, and this was why she was forcing herself to return to the inn, to see him one last time and say goodbye.

As she continued quietly down the unpopulated main street, her thoughts returned to what had just transpired in the Hokage's office.

_"It's time to go home, Sakura."_

_She knew the words had been coming her way, but that did not mean that she had felt inclined to hear them. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, each breath becoming increasingly harder to inhale. She couldn't leave. Not now. Not after everything that had happened, not when her world had been turned upside down and her priorities had changed._

_Raising her eyes from their focus on the wooden floor, she looked at the elderly man that sat before her, the desperation clear in her viridian orbs._

_"Can't…can't I stay?" she attempted, her voice meek, already knowing the answer._

_The Third regarded her sadly, she could see the sympathy etched into his aged features; his dark, wise eyes. He seemed almost torn between his duties and his personal opinion on the matter, but Sakura knew what had to be done, the sacrifices that had to be made to amend the situation; even if they were her own._

_"The balance of time has to be restored, you know you must return, there is no other way." he reminded her slowly, his voice soft._

_"I know." she breathed with defeat as she hung her head once more._

_"At sunrise, you are to make your way to the front gates of the village. Several ANBU will be meeting you there, and once you arrive, you must be ready to leave at once. You have been tasked with pinpointing the area where you first arrived in this time, or as close to as possible. As soon as you have located this area, the counter-jutsu will be activated and if all goes according to plan, you will find yourself returned home."_

_It all sounded so straightforward, as if nothing could possibly go wrong, there would be no complications. This is what she had been wanting for the past few months, to go home to a time where her life made complete sense. So why did she feel so sick about it all? Why did she want to flee from the room, screaming at the top of her lungs?_

_However, Sakura was a shinobi. Duty came before personal feelings._

_"Understood, Hokage-sama."_

_The Third sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I am allowing you this time to say your goodbyes, Sakura. However, no matter how much you wish to remain, even if he asks you to stay, you cannot."_

_Sakura felt her eyes widen. Did he just confirm her suspicions that he knew about she and Kakashi's secret meetings each night? It was entirely plausible, and something in his gaze told her that yes, he was in fact aware that they had been seeing one another, even if he did not condone it. She nodded, words failing to reach her lips._

_"It has certainly been an interesting experience to have known you, Haruno Sakura, even if this entire ordeal has made my hair even lighter." he smiled at her, a genuine gesture. "I hope you have a safe journey home, and I look forward to meeting you again in the future."_

_Sakura tried her best to fight off the frown that tugged at her lips. She knew that he would meet her again, yes, but for her, it was the last time she would ever see Sarutobi Hiruzen. She tried her best not to think about the fact that he had been deceased in her time for six years now, and focused instead of giving the Hokage the best smile she could manage as she bowed respectively to him._

_"Thank you for everything you have done, Hokage-sama."_

_The Third's features turned serious once more, the exchange between them over._

_"I suggest you make the best of your few remaining hours. You are dismissed."_

In had been a little over half an hour since she had left the Hokage's office, usually she would have returned to her room by now. She wasn't sure if it was her reluctance to face Kakashi again or her fear of knowing she would have to leave him behind that kept her walking at such a slow pace, all she knew was that she was certain she wouldn't survive the encounter, that her heart would easily shatter into a thousand pieces when she was forced to walk away from him, never to be whole again.

A nearby clock chimed it's bells, signalling midnight. Sakura had precious few hours left, and no idea what she was to do with them. She knew she couldn't bring herself to leave without saying goodbye to her silver-haired lover, she needed to see him one last time.

She'd already made such a mess of things, having become foolish enough to allow herself to fall for him, and just as thoughtless for accepting his feelings in return when she'd known that there could never be a good outcome, not when she would eventually have to return home. Of course, Kakashi hadn't known of that at the time, no, it was only after he'd become enamoured by her that he had learned of her true origins, and that their time together would never last. Still, he had chosen to be with her, and Sakura couldn't fathom why.

She would remember everything between them, and it hurt to know that he would not. His memories would be stripped from his mind, he would never recall that she had even been a part of his life. It was for the best, Sakura knew that, especially with the possible complications that would arise when he would eventually be given the role of her sensei in the future, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Still, a small part of her wished desperately that he would remember just how much she cared for him, and everything they had gone through before finally becoming lovers. They'd both suffered the loss of a friend, something that had brought them closer than they each could have imagined. Kakashi had been her first kiss, her first lover intimately, and she his. Would he be able remember those times, but with a faceless girl, or not at all? The possibility of being forgotten completely made all of their efforts seem completely useless.

As she neared the inn, a brightly-coloured sign in the corner of Sakura's eye caused her to halt in her steps. Turning her gaze to the right, she noticed a nearby store, which was remarkably still open at this late hour. As her orbs swept over the array of various objects being presented in the window, she found herself drawn to the sight of a small, familiar orange item that instantly reminded her of home.

A brilliant thought entered her mind; she had to leave Kakashi and he would have to forget her, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a keepsake of their time together. Even if he wouldn't be able to remember who had given it to him or the reason behind the gift, it would still serve some significance of their relationship, that it had happened, that he had been loved by someone with all their heart.

With that resolve and a small smile appearing on her lips, she turned and hurriedly made her way into the store.

* * *

"Sakura?"

Kakashi calling out her name was the first thing the pinkette heard as she opened the door and moved inside, one hand clenching the small cloth bag that contained the present she had bought for him earlier at the store. She'd managed to convince herself to be courageous and strong when she faced the silver-haired Jōnin once more, but the mere sound of his voice turned her into a spineless coward once more.

Sakura was undoubtedly tough, heralded as one of the strongest kunoichi in all of Konoha. She'd trained for years to earn such a title that she was overwhelmingly proud of, yet at that moment, she felt just like her twelve-year old self; weak and vulnerable, pathetic in the eyes of her peers. Feeling her valour slipping away, she said nothing as she closed the door behind her softly and slipped off her boots, avoiding the one-eyed gaze of Kakashi. She then continued to stride across the room, placing the bag on the small table before her knees buckled, her hands gripping the sides of the wood as she attempted to steady herself and retain her composure.

She'd convinced herself that she had been ready to say goodbye.

_Breathe, Sakura, breathe._

What a complete fool she had been.

Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out how to deal with the situation, she had no idea what she was meant to say, what she was supposed to do. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, too afraid that once she did, her floodgates would be released and she wouldn't be able to think coherently or form tangible words.

Right now, she needed to be strongest she had ever been. Not just for herself, but for Kakashi.

"The counter-jutsu is complete," she began slowly, her voice wavering slightly, "I will be returned home at sunrise."

It sounded much more simple than it seemed.

As soon as the words left Sakura's lips, her heart began to beating painfully in her chest, her knees weak as she struggled to inhale, her airways suddenly feeling constricted. Her grip on the corners of the table tightened as she tried to regain her equanimity, but to no avail. She barely heard footsteps approaching her rapidly before a warm and comforting hand rested gently between her shoulder blades, the effect instantaneous. She soon felt herself calming as his aroma permeated around her, his warmth flushing against her cool skin as he gently rubbed her back soothingly.

"I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon." Kakashi mused quietly behind her, the tone of his voice unreadable.

"Neither did I." she managed to reply.

"These will be our last few hours together." he breathed with realisation, the hand on her back stilling.

Sakura's control over her emotions began to slip with the words that fell from his lips, and she struggled internally to keep her barriers over them from crumbling. The last thing she wanted to do was be flooded with all her sorrow and weep uncontrollably, not when these precious few hours were all that she had left with Kakashi.

"I don't want them to be miserable." she whispered, turn herself around but keeping her eyes on his material-clad chest. "I don't want to remember the last time I was with you and know that all I did was cry. I want to cherish the time we have together, but I don't…"

Finally allowing herself to look up at her lover, Sakura was forced to stifle back a sob. The overwhelming sorrow and despair she felt at that moment was mirrored in his bare features, the material of his mask bunched at his neck. He attempted a smile, the corners of his lips quirking upwards, but she could see the constrain behind the gesture, that he was forcing himself to hold back his true emotions like herself.

"The last thing I want is to see you upset, Sakura. We will get through this, together, and later we can mourn. Just not now." he spoke softly, pulling her closer to him.

Her arms automatically moved around his shoulders as his own wrapped around her petite waist in a tight embrace, and Sakura found herself terrified at the notion of letting him go. Being in his arms made her feel safe, loved; it just felt right. How was she supposed to go on without him by her side?

"I want our last hours to be memorable. Even if I won't remember, I want to make sure you will never forget."

Sakura tilted her head back to observe at her lover, noticing the look of determination that was etched into his features, and how his face was nearing her own. Her breathing grew heavier as she finally comprehended Kakashi's words, her eyes closing of their own accord in anticipation.

Sakura tilted her head up as Kakashi's lips descended upon hers, kissing her wholeheartedly and she couldn't help the trembling that shimmered through her body. She responded instantly, pressing herself against Kakashi's body with as much force as she could muster as her hands moved to the back of his head, fingers snaking through his moonlight locks. His mouth felt like fire against hers, blistering with an intensity that she'd never experienced before.

His mouth slanted against hers repeatedly, each kiss growing longer, hotter, deeper. Sakura found herself clinging to Kakashi for dear life, fearing the moment she would have to let go, when she would have to leave him behind. She had no doubt that her fingers would leave bruises on his skin from how tightly they grasped him, pulling him against her, closing the space between them.

He kissed her with such unrelenting tenderness, the warmth intensifying between them and quickly becoming unbearable heat. It wasn't long until the need for breath caused them to break apart, both panting heavily, lips swollen from the ferocity of their heated exchanges. As Sakura attempted to regulate her breathing, her chest heaving, she looked up at her lover, taking in as much of his beauty that her brain could handle.

These were the moments she would never forget, for both of them. She would cherish them for the rest of her life; the days when she felt whole and complete, the times when she was loved so absolutely by the man she had given her heart to.

She could feel her eyes stinging with the threat of tears, but she blatantly refused to cry. They still had one another, at least for the time being; for now, he was with her, and that was all that mattered. When they were eventually separated, when it was truly over, then she would allow herself to mourn properly.

As Kakashi's lips captured hers once more, Sakura temporarily forgot her sorrows and became immersed in nothing else but the silver-haired Jōnin .

* * *

It was roughly half an hour before sunrise as the pinkette moved silently around the room, gathering everything she needed and packing them into her bag. In went her stethoscope, the kunai Rin had given her; objects here and there that served as keepsakes to the time she had spent in the past. She quickly glanced at the sleeping occupant in her bed as he snored softly, blissfully unaware that his lover was almost ready to leave.

They'd spent an amazing night together, clinging to each other as they made love one last time before falling asleep, entangled in one another's limbs. Sakura had woken up in time to prepare her things and leave, and had not roused him on purpose. She found herself unable to say goodbye to him face-to-face, choosing the cowardly option to leave quietly while he slept. Last night had been their final farewell, and she hoped that his last memory of her would be a pleasant one; until they were wiped from his mind.

It wasn't her proudest moment, but she felt as though it was the best way for her to cope with the entire situation. She'd managed not to spill a tear, and was determined that she would not give in to her sorrow until she was home. As long as she focused on the task at hand, she wouldn't allow herself time to be emotional, and was avoiding it at all costs.

She had wept enough in this time.

Sakura strode over to her boots and slipped them on, the last thing on the list in her mind that she had left to do. She was dressed, her bag was packed, all that she had left to do was walk through the door and never return. Yet as she stood before the threshold, she couldn't bring herself to step through it. She could have sworn there was something she had forgotten to do, and turned around in an attempt to figure out just what that was.

Her eyes instantly caught the cloth bag that held the present she had bought for Kakashi earlier that night. She walked over to the table and took the object out of the bag, running her fingertip across it's orange cover before gently pressing a kiss to it's title. Even if she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to Kakashi, she'd written her feelings on the inside of the cover, words that would stay with him when his memories would not.

Taking in a deep breath, she took the book over to the bed and lay it next to her silver-haired lover so that he would find it instantly as he woke and realized she had gone. Biting her lip, Sakura fought her tears back once more, clenching her fists with determination. No matter how much it hurt, she had to leave. Sunrise was fast approaching and she wanted to make herself scarce before Kakashi roused. She didn't want the last thing she remembered of their time together being blurred by her tears and choking sobs.

She turned to finally leave the room when suddenly a hand shot out and grasped her wrist tightly, causing her to cry out with surprise before the realisation hit her, along with the dread that made the pit of her stomach coil with apprehension. Slowly, she spun around, noticing the mixture of confusion and hurt on Kakashi's face as he regarded her.

"You're leaving?"

Finding herself unable to form words, Sakura could only nod, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Why didn't you wake me?" he implored, the pain evident in his tone, his fingers moving to her chin so her could tilt her head up, his gaze meeting hers.

"I…I'm a coward, Kakashi." she admitted, her voice wavering.

Sakura silently sat herself down on the edge of the bed, lowering her head down with guilt and shame, azalea tresses covering her face.

"I can't find it in myself to say goodbye. Not to you."

Kakashi quickly manoeuvred himself on the bed so he was perched beside her, and placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder. "Then don't say goodbye. Stay here with me."

Sakura's viridian orbs snapped to Kakashi, wide with shock. It had been something she had truthfully considered, but she hadn't expected him to suggest it. The offer was tempting, much more than she cared to admit, but she knew deep down that she couldn't remain in this time, and that he was just as aware of that fact. She had to return home, to her old life, the one that she had left behind, and he had to remain here.

"You know I can't." she whispered, hating the words as they fell from her lips.

"Yeah. I still thought it was worth a try." he replied with a forced smirk.

Leaning back, Kakashi noticed the small orange-hued gift that she had left on the bed. Picking it up, he inspected it thoroughly before reading the title of the book aloud.

"Icha Icha Paradise."

Sakura couldn't help the sad smile that formed on her lips, it had only been the night before when she discovered that he hadn't known of the book series just yet. Her sensei was obsessed with them, and so she wondered if perhaps she could kick-start his addiction early. It also served as a reminder, not just for him but for herself as well, of the time they had shared; the older Kakashi was rarely seen without one of the paperbacks on his person.

"I've heard it's a good book, I have a feeling you will love it. Just…promise me that you won't start reading it until I'm gone."

The message lovingly printed on the inside would lose it's meaning otherwise, and she couldn't bear to see his reaction to her words.

As the forced small talk ceased, the mood changed rapidly. Soon, tension hung in the air around them, thick with inevitability, and Sakura could have sworn she felt it reverberating through her bones. Sunrise wasn't too far away, and she would need to depart soon if she was going to meet up with the ANBU on time. The longer she stayed in the room with Kakashi, it became increasingly harder for her to stand up and leave.

Mustering all the courage she had left, she moved to her feet, intent on reaching the door before he could stop her.

"I should go-"

"I love you, Sakura."

The pinkette froze mid-step before turning around to face Kakashi, her eyes wide and her moth agape with pure astonishment. Had she just heard him correctly?

"I love you, Sakura." he repeated, looking determined as he stood up from the bed. "I don't want to forget you, not now when I know that my feelings for you are love. That should never be forgotten."

No longer could the pinkette hold her emotions back. The tears stung her eyes before falling down her pale cheeks, thick and fast as she rushed over to Kakashi and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, her hands grasping at his back as the Jōnin wordlessly pulled her closer to him, his fingers running through the silky strands of her petal-coloured hair.

"No matter what, I will always love you, Kakashi. I'll never stop." she told him between sobs, her fingers fisting the back of his shirt as she refused to let him go.

He said nothing in response, but she already knew how he felt, and no more words were needed. She could feel his body shaking softly against hers, her shoulder becoming increasingly damp as he buried his head in the crook of her neck. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, clung to one another, saying their goodbyes without a single sentence uttered.

Eventually, Sakura knew she had to leave. She unwillingly tore herself from Kakashi, missing his warmth instantly, her body craving his touch once more. Her moisture-filled eyes focused on the floor, she knew she could not look at his face as it would break her completely, and shatter her heart. She inhaled deeply through her nose, taking in his delicious aroma one last time, before turning around, retrieving her bag and silently leaving the room.

As she closed the door behind her, Sakura could have sworn she heard an agonizing scream.

* * *

Sakura could have sworn she was sleepwalking.

She trudged along with no real sense of direction, flanked by three members of ANBU who wore masks of a cat, bird and snake respectively. She knew she was supposed to be leading them to where she had arrived, but with how exhausted she felt, it was becoming an increasingly difficult task.

It had only been roughly half an hour since they had left Konoha, Sakura's mind still reeling from what had occurred in her room at the inn. She felt drained of emotion, her tears dried to her cheeks as her eyes grew heavier. All she wanted to do was forget that this ordeal had ever happened. For now, she kept herself somewhat focused on the task at hand, in a bid to distract herself from painful thoughts.

It wasn't long before Sakura came across an area that seemed eerily familiar, despite the fact that the only time she had been here had been during the night when the moonlight was nowhere near as illuminating as the sun was now as it slowly rose. She quickly glanced around, trying her best to determine whether this was the exact location she had arrived, which was difficult due to the trees and bushes all looking exactly alike.

"I think this is it." she spoke up, causing her companions to cease in their steps.

The woman in the snake-mask approached her. "Are you sure?"

Sakura noted the familiarity of the clearing, and deducted that even if it wasn't the exact spot, it was as close as they were going to get. She quickly nodded her head.

"As much as I can be."

The ANBU seemed to happily accept her answer and quickly gathered together, going through their plan of attack, leaving Sakura to her thoughts. With her mind no longer distracted by her mission, it quickly went into overdrive, the despair of leaving Kakashi mixed with the anxiousness of being home with her friends soon overwhelming her petite form, causing her legs to buckle as she dropped to the ground on her knees.

"Are you alright?" asked the bird-masked man, moving over to the pinkette along with his colleagues.

"I'm…fine. I just…need a minute."

As the moisture began to build up in her viridian orbs once more, Sakura was shocked that there were even any tears left to spill. With all the strength she could muster, she fought them back, refusing to weep yet again. She had to focus on the positive things; returning to her friends, her belongings.

She was finally going home.

"Are you ready?" the cat-masked ANBU inquired softly from behind her.

Sakura slowly returned to her feet, raising her head up to look into the sky, noticing that the sun was now rising higher into the atmosphere. The sunlight did not blind her, instead blanketing her with it's warmth as she watched it ascend even further with each passing minute.

The rising sun was a symbol of hope, something Sakura hadn't experienced for as long as she could think back. There hadn't been much for her to hope for, save for the beginning of her journey when all she could think about was returning home.

"I'm ready." she replied, her voice soft, the tone unreadable.

With one last look at the sun, a solitary tear escaped and rolled down her cheek as Kakashi's face flooded her thoughts.

_"Jikan ni modoru no jutsu!"_

* * *

Meanwhile, in a small room at the most popular inn in all of Konoha, a young silver-haired man was sitting on a bed, his lone eye looking out of the nearby window, gazing at the golden orb that hung in the sky. He knew she was gone, the love of his life, and yet it felt as though she had never left his side; her aroma still hung in the air, her voice still rang fresh in his ears.

He tore his gaze away from the sky and focused on the small book that lay on the bed beside him, the gift she had left him before departing. He gingerly picked it up, knowing that he was to read it now, that he had promised to once she had disappeared.

Taking in a deep breath, he gently turned over the cover, instantly noticing the words that were printed so delicately inside, words that gave him hope like the rising sun, words that etched themselves deeply into his memories, ones he swore he would never relinquish willingly.

**_'Not one heartbeat do I forget.'_**

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ I hope this chapter gave you all the feels. If it didn't, then I have failed as an author. I tried to make it emotional without being overly sappy. And I couldn't find it within myself to write out an entire sex scene. Sorry guys._

_**2.**__ The last line is from the show 'Lost in Austen'. It was too perfect not to use._

_**3.**__ That signals the end of the past saga. With the next chapter, we will be in the present yet again! Exciting stuff. Expect to see a few familiar faces in the next chapter as Sakura arrives home!_


	24. Chapter 24

_Early update to make up for the lateness of the previous few, and to thank you all for the overwhelming response the story received for the last chapter. I apologize for making some of you cry (that was not my intention), but I'm glad that the general emotion of the chapter was felt, and that it came across properly. Believe me, the first draft was horrible and dry, I'm glad I decided to rewrite most of it, the outcome was certainly better._

_We're really getting close to the end now, after this chapter, there's only two left. I love the guesses and speculations I've been reading in your reviews about how it's going to end, but I won't say anything on the subject, I like to keep my secrets and let you find out in due time. The wait will be worth it, I promise._

_So please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"I am _never_ doing that again."

As Sakura swayed on the spot and tried to regain her coherency, her head ached horrendously. The last time she'd moved from one time to another, she'd luckily been insentient. On this occasion, she'd been awfully conscious, aware as her body was pulled through space and time, almost blinded with the speed of images flashing before her eyes. It was an experience that she could safely say she never wanted to go through ever again.

Once she had arrived at her destination, she'd promptly fallen to her knees and thrown up the contents of her stomach unceremoniously, which thankfully hadn't been all that much. As she attempted to recollect herself and figure out where she was, although it was more like when; she'd managed to stand and look around, noticing that it was still daytime. In fact, the sun hadn't risen much from it's spot in the sky earlier when she had looked up.

Her eyebrows knitted together with confusion. Was she really home, or had the jutsu malfunctioned somehow, leaving her trapped in the past? Her heart fluttered with a small amount of hope - was it possible that she could stay in this time with Kakashi after all? While she would of course miss her friends and family dearly, she would eventually see them all again in due time; the important thing was that she could finally be with her lover, they actually had the opportunity to grow old together and never leave one another's side-

Sakura's thoughts halted as her viridian eyes met the ground, instantly noticing the telltale signs of battle in the dirt, footsteps printed into the earth mixed with the various droplets of dried blood. There had been some kind of scuffle here; the question was, who had it been between, and why? She couldn't recall seeing anything unusual before the jutsu had been used on her.

As she looked around the area in search of clues, Sakura was mortified to find her answers lying nearby. At first glance, the deceased ninja's body looked like nothing more than a pile of dirty rags, but the horrendous stench hit the pinkette's nose as she neared it, almost forcing her to gag. Luckily, in her lines of work as both a shinobi and a medic, dealing with death was not uncommon to her. She'd faced plenty of corpses before in various stages of decay, but this one definitely smelt the worst. However, there was something peculiar in the unpleasant smell of the body; strangely, another foul odour that was somehow familiar.

Cautiously, Sakura approached the body, her eyes widening when she caught sight of the dead man's face. It was a face that had haunted her for months, with yellowed eyes and sallow skin - it was none other than the rogue ninja who had started her entire ordeal by testing out his new time-travelling jutsu on her that one night, months ago.

Her heart dropped as her hopes melted away; with the shinobi here before her, there was no doubt that she had been returned to her own time, and therefore could never go back. Any possibilities of reuniting with her Kakashi were instantly dashed with the realization, and Sakura could feel herself becoming emotional again. However, she was determined not to cry, and focused on distracting herself for the meantime instead - the body before her a perfect candidate.

The medic within her got to work instantly, checking for any vital signs along with his pulse. She concluded quickly that he'd been dead for over twelve hours, the rising sun already starting to have an effect on his lifeless form. He'd suffered heavy blood loss, and his neck had been slit cleanly, suggesting the work of a talented shinobi. Sakura could only assume that the man had it coming.

Her mind returned to the night they had met, the details incredibly hazy on her end. Time and time again she had tried to recall exactly what had happened before he had used the jutsu on her, but the images were fuzzy with no sound, filled with the aching pain in the back of her neck when he had knocked her out. What had she been doing out of the village so late at night on her own in the first place?

Ah, of course! The medical scroll that she was supposed to deliver! When Sakura had arrived in the past, she hadn't managed to find it, either on her person or around her body, meaning that the rogue ninja had succeeded in stealing it from her. A look of pure disgust tainted her features as she tentatively began to search the corpse in hope of finding the scroll, but it turned out that her efforts were futile as the scroll could not be located.

Her shishou was going to be incredibly annoyed when she found out the scroll had been lost and possibly fallen into enemy hands, and Sakura wasn't quite sure how she was going to explain what had happened.

"This is all your fault." she threw a glance at the rogue ninja, knowing he could not give her a reply. "If you had just let me be, I could have just gone home and none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have fallen in love, I wouldn't have had my heart broken, I wouldn't have hurt someone I care about."

Letting out a sigh, Sakura kicked a small rock with the toe of her boot. "On the other hand, I learned a lot about myself, I did fall in love with the most amazing person and I have some good memories of my experiences in the past. But I'm not going to thank you for that, so forget about it."

Realizing that she was now speaking to lifeless bodies, the pinkette concluded that it was probably time for her to finally return to the village. However, she couldn't bring herself to leave the man's body out in the sun to rot and be eaten by the wildlife, the odour would be off-putting to passer-bys, and there was every chance someone else would come across it in a further state of decay . She quickly slammed her heel down into the ground, making the earth crack and tear apart before rolling the body into the small cavity with her foot. She then set about gathering various rocks, logs and leaves to cover him up as best she could.

Once the corpse was out of view and the stench no longer as noticeable and pungent, Sakura recollected herself, patted down her clothes and quickly took her hitai-ate out of her bag, fastening onto the top of her head where it rightfully belonged. Despite having been absent for so long, it felt natural to have the headband nestled in her pink tresses, worn with honour. She finally felt like herself.

Now, it was time for Sakura to actually return home.

* * *

As she neared the gates, the pinkette took in the view before her of Konoha - _he_r Konoha. The village was nowhere near the size she'd been getting accustomed to, neither was it as grand and splendorous. This Konoha was still being rebuilt; an array of buildings and houses still under construction, tents and makeshift homes set up in large, open areas that hadn't been worked on yet.

Once she walked through those gates, Sakura's life would be returned to normal. The past few months would simply become mere memories that lingered in her mind, ones that only she would recall, unable to be shared with anyone else. Her journey would seem like nothing more than a bizarre dream, one that could never reoccur, no matter how she wished it. She had to move forward, and leave the past where it belonged.

It was the only way she could protect her heart.

As soon as Sakura entered through the gates, she hadn't taken more than a few steps when her name was called out loudly, the tone unsure.

"Sakura?"

She turned her head to look towards the guard-post, finding the familiar faces of Kotetsu and Izumo gazing back at her with mixed looks of confusion and surprise.

"You're back?" Kotetsu continued, looking somewhat puzzled.

A grin appeared on Sakura's lips as she approached them, she didn't think she'd ever been so happy to see the pair.

"I'm back." she echoed, suddenly feeling more content.

"We were expecting you back in a few days." Izumo informed Sakura, looking between her and his partner.

"A few days? Tsunade-shishou sent me on a simple mission to deliver a scroll to a nearby town. How long has it been?"

Izumo shrugged his shoulders. "You left only yesterday evening. All she told us was that she expected you to be back in a few days, and once you had returned, to go and report to her in her office at once."

Of course she would have to give a report. Even though the delivery of the scroll had been more of a simple errand than a mission, there had been complications and the interference with a rogue shinobi. Despite his death, Tsunade still needed to hear what had happened, to prevent more ninjas from attacking others when they ventured outside the village. For all she knew, the man could have been part of a gang who would now want to seek revenge.

Kotetsu frowned as he turned to his best friend. "Sakura just got back, give her a moment to catch her breath before she speaks to the Hokage."

"It's alright, I'll go and see her now." the pinkette sighed, raising a hand in farewell before she walked off, leaving the pair to squabble amongst themselves behind her.

Moving through the streets, she noticed that the villagers reacted to her more than they had when she had been in the past; these men, women and children knew of her, as Tsunade's famed apprentice, as one of the best medic-nins in the country, as the loyal and best friend of Uzumaki Naruto, the village's beloved hero. Smiles and gestures of greeting came her way, and she responded happily.

She'd missed the recognition, of being around people who knew of her, of her struggles and triumphs. She had yearned for the feeling that she actually was someone of great importance, not just a stranger that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sakura belonged in this village, and everyone that surrounded her knew it. The familiarity of those around her made the petal-haired kunoichi more comfortable than she had felt in a long while; like she truly belonged.

As she continued down the street, a recognizable shop sign soon caught her eye, and Sakura couldn't help but take a small detour and quickly make her way inside. Her shishou could wait; right now all she wanted to do was see someone she had found herself missing incredibly during her time in the past.

Moving towards the counter, there was no mistaking the young woman who sat behind, a bored expression on her face as she twirled the pale blonde strands of her ponytail around one finger, her cornflower orbs gazing absentmindedly out the window. It was only when Sakura stood directly in front of her did she realize she was no longer alone, a smile creeping onto her lips.

"Hey Forehead, I was wondering if you were going to visit me today."

The mere sound of her nickname almost reduced Sakura to tears; her eyes beginning to sting as she attempted to fight them off. Ino noticed immediately, the grin instantly disappearing as the concern settled into her pretty features. Despite the rivalry between the two, the blonde cared deeply for Sakura, and their friendship was incredibly strong.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?" she inquired worriedly, extending a hand out to grasp Sakura's shoulder gently.

The pinkette said nothing in return, instead reaching over the counter to wrap her arms around Ino in an awkward hug, who bewilderedly patted her friend's back, unsure of what to do in the situation. Eventually Sakura released her, wiping at her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"Sorry about that Ino. I'm fine, really." she eventually replied, managing a smile.

Ino quirked up an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You normally aren't one for such grand gestures, and people who are 'fine' don't usually cry. I can tell when there's something not quite right with you, but I can't quite put my finger on it yet. Besides, what happened to your dress?"

Sakura looked down at her attire, remembering that she had chosen to wear the maroon top that Kakashi had acquired for her during their mission a few weeks earlier. Her original dress had been destroyed by the band of thugs that had knocked her out and captured her; there had been no saving it. Of course, she had bought other dresses during her time in the past, but the simple top held the most memories, it meant more to her than any of the other simple bits of material.

"I'm just happy to be home, and I bought myself a new top to celebrate. I thought it looked nice; in fact I still do." she commented, before turning around to face the door. "I should be off, Tsunade-shishou wants to see me. I'll talk to you later, Ino-pig."

The blonde frowned behind her as the pinkette made her way to the door. "It looks incredibly outdated, Forehead. Like something my grandmother would have worn."

As usual, Sakura did not let Ino's peculiar insults affect her, and brushed them aside as she pulled on the door's handle.

"Sounds like she had good taste in fashion then." she joked, before opening the door and making her way back out onto the street.

It had been nice to see Ino, almost nostalgic in a way to participate in their usual banter. She'd severely missed such a strange interaction, just like hitting Naruto whenever he said something inappropriate or glaring at Sai when he insulted someone unknowingly. Getting back into her usual routine would take some time, but she found herself really looking forward to settling back into her normal life.

The only worry she had was facing her sensei.

The mere thought of the older Kakashi made her abdomen feel queasy, she still was unsure of how to deal with that situation. She knew her incarnation was long gone, and that he wouldn't recall ever meeting her before he'd been appointed as her teacher when she was twelve and he was twenty-six. Would she still have those feelings of wanting to be with him when she eventually encountered the reclusive Jōnin? All she could do was hope that would not be the case; the last thing she wanted to do was strain the relationship between herself and her former sensei.

Sakura couldn't focus on him, not now. She had to deal with Tsunade first, and figure out how she was going to explain what had happened. Perhaps there was a chance that she wouldn't have to tell her shishou about her journey to the past, that she could claim the rogue shinobi had simply knocked her out and she had only just woken up not too long ago. It was all she could hope for.

It wasn't long until she eventually found herself standing outside Tsunade's office, knowing that for the first time in months, her shishou would be the one sitting behind the desk again, not the Third whom she had grown accustomed to. Taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, she knocked lightly on the door, almost rejoicing when she heard Shizune call out.

"Come in!"

Sakura opened the door slowly, peeking her head around the wood to see the familiar face of Shizune, who looked surprised at the appearance the young kunoichi as she manoeuvred herself into the room and closed the door behind her gently.

"Who is it?"

Tsunade's chair was facing away from the pinkette, facing towards the large window that overlooked the village. Shizune glanced between her master and Sakura, seeming peculiarly unsure of the situation, which worried the pinkette.

"It's Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama." the older woman informed the Fifth Hokage softly, who immediately spun her chair around to face the petal-haired girl.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon." she told her apprentice, suddenly looking curious. "How was the mission?"

Sakura shifted slightly, suddenly feeling incredibly uncomfortable. "There was some complications, I lost the scroll-"

"I meant your real mission, Sakura."

She blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I know what actually occurred Sakura, that you were on your way to the town when you were attacked by a rogue shinobi. He eventually captured you, and exercised a new space-time jutsu on you that sent you fourteen years into the past." Tsunade admitted, her features unreadable.

Sakura's eyes widened with shock, her jaw agape. "How-"

"The Third wrote up a report about the entire situation before his memories of you were eventually erased by Yamanaka Inochi. It detailed everything you had told him, of the previous mission given to you by your Hokage, which turned out to be me; of the shinobi who attacked you and then seemingly used you as a test subject. "

Tsunade paused for a moment, closing her eyes tightly before continuing.

"Sakura, the errand I sent you on was false. There was no town that required a medic scroll, I simply needed you to be in the right place at the right time. I deceived you, and for that I apologize."

"You _knew_?!"

Her hands clenched into tight fists, Sakura could feel her rage beginning to bubble up within her body, mixed with every other negative emotion she had experienced during this entire situation.

"If you really knew what was going to happen to me, why didn't you try to prevent it?" she asked through gritted teeth, staring at her master.

If Tsunade had stood up and impeded Sakura from coming across the rogue ninja, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have met Rin, only to experience the pain of losing a friend; she wouldn't have fallen for Kakashi, only to have her heart broken by being forced to leave him behind. There were some good times from her experiences, but it was heavily outweighed by the bad. No-one would even remember her struggles, her efforts. She'd felt alone and confused, an outsider in the village she loved more than anything. She'd been forced to live a lie for months, not even able to confide in the friends she had accumulated.

"The Third had reported that you had been sent to the past, therefore it was imperative that it occur. Messing with time can be dangerous; if something had happened and you weren't sent back, who knows how our own timeline could have been altered. It was written that you were there, documented all those years ago and so you had to be." Tsunade explained to her student sternly, narrowing her eyebrows.

"What about me? Were my feelings even considered?" Sakura bit back, unable to contain herself.

"Do you think I wanted to make you endure something like this, that I wished you to suffer? You are like a daughter to me Sakura; I tried to think of ways to avoid this entire mess but I knew in the end that there was no alternative, that I had to send you there."

With the regret that was displayed clearly on Tsunade's face, Sakura's ire simmered considerably. She knew her shishou well enough that although she was a hard and stern woman, she cared about those close to her immensely. Faced with the situation, she would have been torn between her personal feelings for her student and her obligations as the Hokage, and being the village's leader meant her duties always came first.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-shishou." she apologised, lowering her gaze.

"There is still one thing that I don't quite understand; do you know exactly what happened to the man who attacked you?" Tsunade continued, leaning her elbows on the desk as she laced her fingers together in front of her nose.

Sakura shook her head. "He was still alive when he used the jutsu on me, but when I returned, I found him deceased."

"The scroll I gave you was not a medic scroll. It contained a powerful paralysing jutsu; whoever opened it would find themselves suddenly incapacitated. I was hoping to catch the shinobi and bring him back here for questioning, but by the time the ANBU arrived, someone had taken him out." the honey-haired woman explained, looking mildly frustrated.

Shizune, who had been standing in the corner of the room silently, approached Sakura cautiously. "Was there anyone else there, Sakura-chan?"

The pinkette scrunched up her nose in thought as she tried to remember the night she had been attacked, which almost seemed like it was years ago. She recalled the shinobi uttering his jutsu, the pain on the back of her neck as he struck her, the flash of silver as someone called her name…

Her eyes widened with realisation. There had been someone there after all, someone she knew well, someone she was trying her hardest not to think about at all. But why had he been there? Had he followed her quietly, a secret bodyguard to protect her if anything had gone wrong on her errand? Had he known she was going to run into trouble? It didn't make a lot of sense to her.

"Did you remember seeing someone?" Shizune prompted Sakura, obviously noticing the look on the younger woman's face.

"There was another person there, but I never saw his face." the pinkette lied swiftly.

Before she told Tsunade anything, she would have to get her own answers first. She deserved at least that much.

Tsunade sighed again, defeated, and leaned back in her chair, reaching into her desk for what was no doubt a sizable sake bottle. "I suggest you go home and rest, Sakura. Take some time off to resettle yourself, and when you're ready to return to duty, come and see me."

Sakura nodded, planning to do something else entirely once she had left the room.

"Thank you, Tsunade-shishou."

* * *

She practically ran through the streets of Konoha at top speed, her curiosity growing with each second as she passed blurred buildings and villagers. She needed to know why Kakashi had been there that night, why he had called out her name, why he had killed that rogue shinobi. How could he have known that she would be there? Unless he followed her; Sakura couldn't fathom an answer that properly explained his reasons for appearing just before she had been sent to the past.

There had to be some kind of proper explanation, and she was determined to receive it. She knew that Kakashi liked to avoid serious questions and there was every chance that he would attempt to steer the conversation another way or change the topic altogether, but now she knew him better and his way of thinking. There was no way she was going to allow him to get away with this.

Lost in her thoughts, Sakura didn't notice the orange blur that suddenly appeared in front of her out of nowhere before she crashed into it headfirst, tumbling painfully to the ground, entangled within the unknown object.

"You're sure in a hurry, Sakura-chan!"

As she managed to free herself from the various limbs and get to her feet to brush the lingering dirt from her clothes, the pinkette slowly looked up, meeting familiar bright blue eyes that belonged to a grinning, whiskered face that was framed by sunshine-coloured hair. All Sakura could do was immediately lunge at her best friend, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she embraced him tightly, not knowing the last time she had been so ecstatic to see him.

Although taken off guard at first, Naruto then enveloped the petite pinkette in his arms, returning the hug. All constrain Sakura had over her tears was instantly lost in the comfort of his embrace, the shoulder of his jacket slowly dampening as she continued to hold him. He rubbed her back soothingly yet awkwardly, obviously surprised at the sudden gesture but concerned that she was upset. Eventually, she pulled away from him and returned her arms to her sides, before looking up at him again to see the worry and puzzlement in his handsome features.

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly, his brows knitting together with apprehension.

Sakura wiped away her tears and gave him the best smile she could manage. "I just missed you, that's all."

Naruto gave her a confused look. "I only saw you three days ago, Sakura-chan."

It seemed more like an eternity to her.

"I can still miss you in that time, can't I?" she waved it off, hoping she hadn't made too much of a fool of herself. "All I need you to do now is say something Naruto-ish."

"Naruto-ish?" he repeated.

"Forget about it, I'm just in a strange mood, that's all. I don't quite feel like myself."

"I don't get what you mean, Sakura-chan. Are you sure you're okay? I can tell when something is wrong…your hair seems longer somehow, and you look a lot old-"

Naruto didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence as Sakura swiftly reached out and punched him gently in the arm. It didn't carry her usual strength, but it still seemed to hurt the jinchūriki somewhat as he instantly grabbed his arm with his other hand. A smile crept onto her lips, noticing that things were finally returning to normal.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to have ramen with me." Naruto exclaimed, still rubbing the tender flesh of his hurt limb.

"I can't, I'm on my way to see Kakashi." Sakura replied, looking in the direction of their sensei's house.

"'Kakashi'?" her best friend questioned curiously, obviously noticing that she had dropped the honorific.

"Well, he did tell us to, uh, stop referring to him as our sensei. And, uh, I better go." the pinkette became flustered, turning away from the boisterous blonde before he asked any more questions that she wouldn't be able to answer.

She sprinted out of his sight, noticing that she was quite near Kakashi's apartment. She'd technically never been inside the building, having never been invited over; but she'd stood outside screaming at her sensei to hurry up one too many times. She was so close to seeing him again, the eagerness to be near him building up within her, her heart beating loudly in her chest. Was she ready to face him again, so soon? There was only one way to find out.

As she climbed up the stairs, each step felt heavier, longer. Her palms were beginning to grow sweaty, and she was certain that before she reached the top, her chest was going to explode, the pain growing unbearably as her heartbeat rose even more with a mix of anticipation and absolute terror.

Coming up to his front door, Sakura inhaled sharply, trying to muster up all her courage as she knocked on the door with her knuckles. As the realisation of what she had just done hit her system, she was flooded with a strong desire to flee immediately, but wasn't able to due to the fact that her legs had frozen in place out of sheer trepidation.

The door opened suddenly before her; sudden light flooding her eyes before Kakashi appeared before her, standing in the threshold.

For a moment, Sakura completely forgot how to breathe.

"Sakura."

Even with the mask hiding most of his features, and the aged lines that were etched lightly around his obsidian orb; he was still just as beautiful as she remembered. It took everything within the pinkette not to throw herself into his arms, although the way he was gazing at her, his lone eye meeting hers, made her breathing hitch and her senses go numb.

He was looking directly at her with such intensity that it felt as if her soul was on fire, as if he had been waiting for her arrival for what seemed like an eternity; not through her as if she were a ghost, like he usually did.

The way he had spoken her name, it held the gentle caress of a lover, like his lips had ached to speak the word.

Her eyes widened and all else was forgotten.

"You _remember_."

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ Most of you guessed correctly that he would remember. I couldn't have him forgetting all about her now, could I? You'll find out how he kept his memories in the next chapter._

_**2.**__ Yes, Kakashi was there as Sakura was sent to the past. Only two people pointed it out, but the clue has been there the entire time. Once again, we will find out what happened next time._

_**3.**__ Last cliffhanger of the story, I promise (considering there's only two chapters to go). I couldn't fit it all in to one chapter, so I made it into two. Next chapter should be on time, or earlier, depending on how things go._

_Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)_


	25. Chapter 25

_WE DID IT! WE REACHED OVER ONE THOUSAND REVIEWS!_

_A record-breaking eighty-two reviews for the last chapter alone (at the time of me writing this), the most received on a single chapter! I still can't believe all the support, and the fact that this story is still getting new readers! Part of me doesn't want Unbroken to end, but the other part knows that there's only one chapter left after this one and that it's been an incredibly good run._

_The last update will probably be very early March, depending on my crappy internet data. In the meantime, I do plan on updating Lolita (my other KakaSaku story) sometime in the next few days if I have a chance, so please keep an eye out for that._

_And now onto this long-awaited chapter, where a lot of your questions will (hopefully) be answered!_

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved! :)_

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"You _remember_."

The words left Sakura's lips as the realisation hit her with so much force that she nearly stumbled on her feet. Her eyes were glued to Kakashi's form, her breathing halted as her heart pounded loudly and painfully within her chest, sounding dully in her eardrums. The world around her stopped still and yet spun around her at the same time; up and down lost their meanings and all she could focus on was him.

Suddenly, Kakashi blinked, and was broken from his trance, his obsidian eye trailing to the ground as he bowed his head slightly, silver locks covering the visible features of his face.

"You should probably come in."

The words were murmured, his voice low; it sent shivers down Sakura's spine at the sound of his baritone voice, causing her to wrap her arms around herself. Without hesitation she obliged, her feet moving of their own accord as she wandered through the doorway, passing him on her way. His aroma was the same, yet somehow more refined, more masculine. She dug her fingernails into her upper-arms as she gripped them tightly, in an effort not to throw herself at him and make a spectacle.

Right now, she was elated, yet confused. She needed answers first. The rest could be sorted out later.

Briefly looking around the room, the pinkette noted how minimal Kakashi's place was - a small kitchenette, a simple bed and an outdated couch along the wall, complete with a diminutive wooden table before it. She'd often complained about the lack of space in her own apartment, but it seemed now that her bedroom was roughly the size of Kakashi's entire place.

She quickly took a seat on the couch, hesitantly raising her eyes up to meet the Jōnin's form as he closed the door and moved over to the bed, sitting down on the end of the mattress so he was directly facing her; yet his eyes were still trained on the ground. Clasping her hands together as they rested upon her knees, she tried to ignore the nervous jitters that reverberated through her nerves, concentrating instead on keeping her breathing regulated in an attempt to calm herself down.

"Did you want something to drink?" Kakashi asked, glancing up at her briefly.

"No thank you." she replied, still trying to fight off her uneasiness; any food or drink she consumed would most likely find it's way back up and she really didn't want to make the situation any more awkward.

"I…I honestly don't know where to begin." he admitted after a few passing minutes of silence, a hand moving to run through his silver mane. "I've been preparing for this day for years, and now you're here and…"

Sakura bit her lip in thought. "How…how much do you remember?"

"Everything."

Her eyes widened with surprise. He remembered it all; their entire time together? The struggles and the intimacy, the internal battles they fought and the hardships they had endured? While there was a part of her that rejoiced at the news, the logical side of her mind reminded her that it shouldn't have been possible, that Kakashi had been ordered to have his memories of her removed, that he should have forgotten.

"The shirt you're wearing, I bought that for you when your dress was torn up by that band of rogue-nins. Having you walk around in just your bra was driving me crazy." he admitted, chuckling to himself softly.

Sakura's cheeks flushed with heat as she automatically looked down at the maroon-hued material. It held so much meaning for her, a reminder of what they had shared on their mission together, the heated proper first kiss in the cave. That had been their turning point; the unspoken acknowledgement of their feelings for one another.

"I don't understand…the Hokage had ordered that everyone who came in direct contact with me would have their memories of me erased." the pinkette argued as she returned her eyes to him, clearly confused.

Kakashi sighed. "It's…complicated."

"I think I deserve to know, Kakashi."

His eyebrows flew up in surprise as she spoke; whether it had been the mature tone of her voice or the fact that he hadn't heard her speak his name without the honorific in fourteen years, Sakura wasn't quite sure. However, as much as she loved him, and as elated as she was to have the opportunity to be with him again, she needed answers first. There was no way she was going to let this go without knowing the entire story.

"After you left…I was a mess for days. Knowing that I would be forced to forget you…the memories were to precious for me to lose, and so I made the conscious decision to fight for my right to keep them. When the time came for Inochi to extract all thoughts of you from my mind, I did something that I'm not proud of; I used my Sharingan on him."

Sakura could see the shame in Kakashi's visible features, it was obviously an action he regretted deeply, especially as Inochi was no longer with them. For the Jōnin to use his most deadly weapon on a comrade was unthinkable - it was obvious that he had been desperate.

"What happened?" she encouraged him to continue, her voice low.

"It was my last-ditch effort, and I was very well aware that it's success was minimal, if not at all. At first, Inochi reached into my mind and scanned through my recollections of the past few months, to see just what he had to erase. Once he was done, he then began to make the hand-seals for the jutsu, and I acted. I used the Sharingan and implanted fake memories into his mind; that he had gone through with the procedure and I no longer could remember you." he explained.

Sakura leaned forward slightly, her curiosity peaking. "And it worked."

Kakashi closed his visible eye. "The problem was, it shouldn't have. As an expert on the mind, Inochi would have been able to figure out that the memories were fake; that they had been implanted."

"You don't think he realised?"

"I have a feeling that he knew exactly what had happened, what I had done to him, but he simply chose to ignore it. Inochi might have been a tough man, but he was a romantic; it's possible that when he realised just how close we had become, and the fact that I had gone to such great lengths to fight for what we had, he simply let it go, and allowed me to keep those memories." he looked up at Sakura, his features unreadable. "I still feel guilt for deceiving a friend, but I was naïve at the time, and acted out of desperation."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together with confusion. "Naïve?"

Kakashi stood up from the bed, and began to pace the room slowly, not daring to even glance at the pinkette as he strode backwards and forwards before her.

"I was only eighteen, so young and so in love. I honestly believed that I would be able to wait for you to appear again, that fourteen years wasn't that long until you were back in my arms. Then a year passed, and then another; as I grew older, I eventually began to realise just how foolish I had been. It didn't quite hit me as hard until one day when I was twenty-six, and the Hokage had assigned me a new genin team after countless others; one he said would be different from the rest. Although he didn't quite know it then, he had no idea how correct he was."

Sakura's eye trailed down to the floor, the guilt seeping through her system. If she had known he would keep his memories, that he would have been forced to teach her as a young girl when he was so much older; surely she would have warned him. Unfortunately, it was too late for that, and it was obvious that she had caused him to suffer, even if it was unknowingly.

When she said nothing in response, Kakashi continued. "It didn't take long for me to put the pieces together, that I was the porn-reading, always late sensei you had so fondly told me about. And it made sense, I was always attached to my Icha-Icha books and I never showed up on time anymore; but you were the reasons for both. The novel was given to me by you, and therefore I could not part with it; after you left, I felt increasingly alone, and so every day I would visit some old friends, and often lose track of time."

She had been the cause of both of his bad habits - the ones that had infuriated her to no end when she was younger? Her journey into the past seemed to have affected much more of her current life than she had realized, and as it all began to slowly make sense, it was becoming much more than her mind could comprehend; a headache had already begun to ache dully in her cranium.

"I never put the two together. Your obsession with the Icha-Icha books stretched beyond just the one I bought you, and sometimes I would catch you by the memorial stone when you were meant to be elsewhere." the pinkette explained, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"At first it was just the book you gave me, and the words you had written within it's cover. But as time went on, I became increasingly lonely, and was still so sure that I would wait for you. Then the next instalment was released, and I acquired it soon after. They aren't just graphic novels, there's a love story in those words, and it gave me hope." Kakashi glanced over to his bookshelf, where the three books of the series were stacked.

"As for the memorial stone, it held Obito's name. Since he didn't have a proper burial, it was the only place I could go to…connect with him. I spent time between there and Rin's grave…then after the war I only went to see Rin."

Sakura frowned, obviously not understanding. "Why did you stop visiting Obito?"

"Because he didn't die." Kakashi said softly, looking up at the pinkette. "He survived the cave explosion, and was found by Uchiha Madara, who fed him nothing but lies and twisted him into the most formidable ninja we have ever opposed."

Her eyes widened to the point where they were in danger of escaping their sockets, her jaw dropping.

"_Tobi_." she breathed.

The masked man had eventually been defeated only two years ago, but the whole world had been involved in the battle, fighting against the Jyuubi and it's masters, Uchiha Madara and Tobi. Sakura had no idea that it had really been Obito, Kakashi had never discussed it with her, nor had Gai or Naruto. She'd only witnessed what everyone else had; Naruto becoming the world's hero as he and Kurama defeated the enemy. Not much had been discussed afterwards, all the great nations had focused instead on rebuilding their societies and working together to the best of their abilities.

He nodded. "He blamed me for Rin's death, that I had promised him that I would care of her, instead I left her to die, it was my fault that I hadn't been there to protect her."

"I had no idea." Sakura spoke softly, hanging her head. "If I had known any of this…I could have prevented this all, stopped Rin from being killed on that mission. Instead I was too busy focusing on all my interactions with you, knowing who you would become in my future, trying to deny my feelings but I wasn't strong enough. I should have resisted, for both our sakes; I never wished for you to suffer as much as you've been forced to."

The joy she had felt at learning that his memories had remained was now replaced with pure and utter guilt. He'd been forced to endure so much more than she had initially realised; having her turn his young life upside down only to leave so soon into the relationship, torn away from him only to return after he'd had to live fourteen years without her, waiting patiently for her to eventually arrive. It hadn't even occurred to her how he would feel when he learned he would be her sensei in the future, forced to teach the younger incarnation of the girl he had loved.

"You weren't to know, and I never told you because I was aware of the implications. As much as I wish I could have prevented Rin's death, I knew it had to happen."

Sakura ran a hand through her petal-coloured tresses. "I still should have explained that you were eventually going to be my sensei. I just…couldn't bring myself to confess that to you, it would have changed everything between us. I never knew you would remember though, it must have been so confusing…I would understand if you were angry with me for not explaining things."

"When I was first given your genin team, I figured there must have been some mistake when I read your name. I tried to give the team to Asuma, but the Third insisted that only I could take on this squad. The night before I was due to meet them, I had hardly any sleep, I wasn't sure I could deal with seeing your younger self, knowing what would happen to her in the future, what she would eventually end up sharing with me." Kakashi clarified. "I was confused and hurt that you hadn't told me, but never angry. In fact, I understood why you kept it to yourself. I just wasn't sure how I was supposed to handle the situation."

"I can't imagine how awful it mist have been to deal with."

"Then when the time came, when I first met you, I realized that you were nothing alike; I was able to view you as two separate people, just with the same physical attributes. The girl before me wasn't _my_ Sakura, thankfully, there were no strange feelings involved. I was able to see you as a student, nothing more." he continued, looking slightly relieved.

Sakura thought back to her time as a genin, there had been so sign of awkwardness, no recognition when she had first met him. "Yet you always held me at an arms length, never told me anything about you, always avoided or deflected my questions."

Kakashi paused in his steps, looking over in her direction as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't like repeating myself."

As he began to pace once more, Sakura attempted to understand his cryptic answer. It didn't take her clever mind much time to decipher what the silver-haired man had meant; in the past there had been many things he had shared with her, if he had already told her younger self, there would have been no point in her asking those questions when she was sent to the past. He'd already shared things with her once when he was eighteen, why repeat himself at an older age? The logics of the entire situation made her headache even worse.

"I never imagined things would progress so far, and that you would keep your memories. If I had known…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

"At first, it wasn't all that difficult for me. Eventually, I realised that you were completely besotted with Sasuke, and that he was the one who would eventually try to kill you. I did everything I could to ensure that didn't happen; I took him under my wing and attempted to help him fight off the darkness that was slowly beginning to consume him. I wanted nothing more than for you to be happy, and if I could help him, fix him…"

Kakashi stopped pacing and sat upon the end of the bed again.

"Sasuke-ku…Sasuke was always going to be beyond help, none of us really understood that until it was too late. His need for revenge was much too strong, his hatred for his brother and what had happened to his clan." Sakura replied, making a mental note to drop the suffix she had attached to the Uchiha's name for so long.

"That day when I heard you were going after him on your own…" Kakashi lifted his head, his sole obsidian eye meeting Sakura's viridian ones, "I knew what would happen, that it was the day he would attempt to kill you. I was terrified, you told me you were saved before anything could happen, but I couldn't understand who it was, as everyone else was either with me, or had been knocked out by you."

"You saved me, Kakashi." the pinkette gave him a small smile.

"The first time he tried. I wasn't quick enough when he went after you again, he would have succeeded if Naruto hadn't shown up."

Sakura's lips dropped into a frown as she regarded the older man. "I was sixteen when that happened, why were you so terrified to lose me? We were close as teacher and student, but not overly."

Kakashi inhaled deeply before answering. "As time went on, and you grew older and began to mature, I realized you were becoming my Sakura, and those feelings I had been keeping stored away were beginning to emerge. I tried to spend less time with you and distracted myself with focusing on Sasuke and Naruto. I even spoke to Tsunade about considering you as an apprentice, especially with your chakra control. I took all the precautions I could to help us both."

This entire time, Sakura had believed that her teacher hadn't bothered with her much in the past because she was not skilled enough, and could not compare to the talents of her team-mates. As she had gotten older and his acknowledgement of her grew, she had always thought it was because he had realised just how much stronger she had become, and that he appreciated that she had trained exponentially to achieve her strength. She'd never been aware of the internal struggle behind it all that he had experienced.

"At first, I comforted myself by knowing that soon, you would show up, and that all my years of anticipating your arrival would be coming to a close. I had waited patiently for you, and believed I would be rewarded when we could finally be together again, this time properly."

Sakura stood up as soon as she heard his words, and moved over to Kakashi, standing before him. She was too nervous to touch him, although her fingertips ached to brush against his skin, to feel the scorching heat it emitted once again. She longed to be in his arms, but couldn't help but wonder if his embrace would feel different, if his body would meld against hers as perfectly as it had done before.

"I'm here now, and we can finally be together, Kakashi. All your years of waiting are over, and I want nothing more than to be with you." she whispered, plucking up the courage to reach out and grasp his shoulder.

Before she could make contact however, the Jōnin manoeuvred his way off the bed and around her, standing on the opposite side of the room, his back to her. His back was heaving noticeably, and although she could no longer see his face, she knew he was having a tough time with the whole ordeal. She wished she knew what was going on inside his mind, that he would allow her to console him, that she could put this all right and they could be content, that she could make him happy again.

"We can't be together, Sakura."

The words sounded around the room, causing the pinkette's knees to give out as she collapsed onto the bed. Managing to sit up, her hands gripped the sheets tightly as the rejection coursed through her veins, tears stinging in her eyes. Why couldn't they be together, and be finally be happy, now that it was all over? After everything they had both endured; he much more than her, didn't they deserve to be rewarded?

"Why?" she implored, her voice wavering, betraying her attempt to remain calm.

"When I thought about the possibility of being together, I eventually realised that any kind of relationship between us would be frowned upon by the entire village, if not viewed as forbidden. I am fourteen years your senior, Sakura; not to mention that I am also your teacher, and you are my student. For obvious reasons, this never occurred to me when I was eighteen, I never considered the complications." Kakashi elucidated, his back still turned.

Sakura could feel herself becoming defeated, and clung on to the small bit of fight that still remained. She couldn't give up now, not when there was still a glimmer of hope. Surely he still had feelings for her; the fact that he could not seem to look her in the eye was a clear indication. She had come so far, travelled through time and she was not going to back down now.

"You're not my teacher anymore Kakashi, we are both Jōnin, we hold the same rank. Age has nothing to do with anything, my own parents are years apart in their ages and they are as happy as can be. No matter how old you are, or how much it's frowned upon, I will still love you, no matter what, so don't use it as an excuse. Deep down, I know you're still the same boy that gave me my first kiss, you made love to me that first time-

"I am no longer that boy, Sakura." Kakashi quipped angrily, interrupting the pinkette as he turned around to face her again. "I am a man now, one who has grown up fourteen years without you, after everything that happened. Things are different now, I've had the time to deal with it all and think the situation over logically."

He took in a deep breath and looked to the floor.

"In the end, I made the decision that I cannot be with you."

All of Sakura's remaining control over her feelings crumbled, hot tears escaping her eyes as the hurt, confusion and ire washed over her body. Her hands clenched into fists as her heart thudded painfully once more, reverberating through her entire body. She couldn't just sit here and accept what he had said - it wasn't within her nature. With this resolve, she made her way off the bed and stood before him, hands on her hips.

"It wasn't just your decision to make, Kakashi. What about my feelings? Shouldn't they have been considered? I may have only left you this morning and I didn't have those fourteen years without you but I know in my heart that I would have done everything in my power to be with you, if the roles had been reversed and it had been me in your position instead." the pinkette told him, shaking slightly with anger, her cheeks stained with saline as the tears continued to stream down them.

Kakashi lifted his gaze to meet hers, the depth in his obsidian orb unfathomable.

"I already lost you once, the pain was unbearable. I couldn't handle losing you a second time."

Despite the obvious pain in his voice, it did not simmer Sakura's fury.

"Pushing me away is exactly the same as losing me."

His eye crinkled with what she knew to be a forlorn smile beneath the dark-hued material of his infernal mask.

"I can't lose you again if you are not mine to begin with."

As the words left his masked lips, Sakura felt her heart break once again. All the hope and elation she had experienced when he had first spoken her name as she has appeared on his doorstep was instantly crushed by the immense pain and rejection she felt now; he was firm in his belief that they should not be together, even after everything they had gone through.

Had it all been for nothing? A first-time romance that they would only look back on in pain and regret? The relationship between them now; as friends, as a former sensei and student, was damaged beyond repair. She would never be able to pretend like nothing had happened, be by his side without wanting to be in his arms once more.

Defeated, Sakura realised that no matter how much she fought it, Kakashi was firm in his belief that they could not be together. As one of the most stubborn people she had ever come across, any attempts at changing his mind were futile. All she could do was accept what he had decided and take the time to deal with it.

That's what a mature adult was supposed to do, even if all she wanted to do was go home and cry herself to sleep.

She turned from him and began to head towards the door, with nothing more she could say to him. Her mind hurt, her chest hurt; she needed to wake up from this nightmare before it consumed her. But as she stepped onto the small doormat, her hand outstretched towards the handle, something in her mind clicked and made her halt in her actions; she'd come to his place for a specific reason, for other unanswered questions.

"The day I left, when you encountered me in the street. You knew."

The rest of her inquiry remained unspoken, they both were aware of what she meant.

"When I saw you, the way you appeared; you had finally become my Sakura. I knew you hadn't gone yet by the way you looked at me, and that you added the honorific to my name, which could only mean that the time had arrived, that you would be travelling back to the past. It took everything in me not to say anything, to act towards you as I have always done; aloof and unattached." Kakashi responded, taking a seat on the couch, covering his face with his hands.

"You could have said something, and saved us both from all of this." she replied sadly, moving her eyes to meet his form.

"I couldn't get involved with the laws of time. It had already happened to me, if I tried to prevent it, what would have happened? The consequences could have been even more severe than any of us could have imagined. So, I returned home and struggled with my thoughts, I knew I had to let it occur and yet I wanted to spare us both from the eventual outcome."

Sakura frowned in confusion. "But I saw you there."

Kakashi removed his hands from his face, his sight settled on the small table before him. "In the end, I reached the decision that I would protect you from the pain and suffering, no matter the cost. I followed you, intending to inhibit the rogue-ninja from sending you back, but I arrived too late. As I saw you, you screamed my name and then disappeared right before me; you were gone."

"You killed him." It wasn't so much a question, rather a statement.

Kakashi nodded his head, dropping his hands to his lap. "I knew I shouldn't have tried to interfere, but I was so furious at having failed, that my attempt had been futile. I took out all of my pain and rage on that man, the one who started it all; I lost control of myself and by the time I became aware of what I was doing, he was already dead."

"I wish I had known, then none of this would have happened." Sakura murmured, her thoughts becoming increasingly hard to process.

"When you showed up in my life, all those years ago, I was damaged, seemingly beyond repair. Emotionally, mentally; I had lost everyone I cared about, and then when Rin…I was broken. I needed someone to fix me, and that was you. I don't know how or why you appeared when you did, but you are the reason I've held myself together for so long. And I never got to thank you for that."

Kakashi returned to his feet, but did not approach the pinkette.

"Over time, maybe you will understand why nothing more can happen between us. I'm not just doing this on a selfish whim; I'm protecting us both. Until then, I will keep my distance from you, and when you are ready, we can begin to restore our friendship."

He moved past her and over to the front door, opening it up as a gesture that it was time for her to leave. Sakura said nothing as she kept her head down and walked through the threshold, past him and out into the staircase, hearing the door close quietly behind her. She inhaled deeply, now was not the place nor the time to allow herself to submit to the cornucopia of emotions that were threatening to be released. She had to remain strong for a little while longer, no matter how difficult that might be.

Silently she made her way down the stairs and out of the building, ignoring villagers as they passed her by, despite some attempts at greeting her. Her eyes remained firmly planted on the ground, she couldn't handle anyone seeing the anguish in her features. Right now, she needed to go home; the last thing she desired was to have an emotional breakdown in the middle of the street, surrounded by strangers. Too many people had already seen her tears, and she would not be able to give a proper explanation for her outburst.

Luckily, she made it to her apartment sooner than she realised, only once she had removed the seals on the door and walked inside did she realise she had actually arrived home. The place was just as she had left it; scrolls and textbooks on the dining table, a few dishes in the sink, her cushions strewn across the living room floor. She didn't take much time to bask in the fact that she had finally returned after so long, instead making a beeline to her bedroom and closing the door quickly behind her.

The silence was deafening as she took two steps to her bed, collapsing upon it as the sobs began to escape her body, shaking her petite form as the tears escaped yet again, thicker and faster as they torrented down her cheeks. Her heart, which had only repaired itself a little while beforehand, shattered into a million pieces once more; this time with no hope of fixing it.

Whilst she had been in the past, she had wanted nothing more than to return to her own time.

Now she was home, she would give everything to go back.

* * *

_Here's three things you should know;_

_**1.**__ PLEASE DON'T HATE ME. _

_**2.**__ I know this is not what you were expecting, most of you thought the reunion would be happy and loving, but I tried to make the situation realistic; Kakashi would have struggled a lot over those fourteen years, and dealing with Sakura before she loved him would have been incredibly difficult for him. I know he's not usually an emotional person who speaks his feelings so openly, but I tried to take in account that privately he may be different about those he is close to, and there was a lot to explain._

_**3.**__ I would really appreciate no nasty reviews due to this chapter. Most of you have been so lovely so I wouldn't expect it, but I'm still worried that this may trigger negative reactions. Remember, this is still one chapter after this - it's not the end! _

_After the next (and final) chapter (ohmygod), I will be posting up answers to questions that you may have about the story as a whole, the writing of the story, or myself. So ask away, and I will try and answer them all. Just thought you might find it interesting, and with this story being such a huge part of my life right now, and the love and effort I have been putting into it, it might be a nice way to wrap it all up with a shiny bow. So leave your questions in a review, PM me or leave me an ask in my tumblr (link is on my profile), stating that it's for Unbroken. (make sure you leave me a name though, makes things easier)._

_Please try to have all questions in by the end of this month (the 28th). I'm looking forward to it!_


	26. Chapter 26

_Everything I have to say will be at the end of this chapter. _

_Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved._

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"Sakura-san, maybe you should take a break?"

Ignoring the nurse's request, Sakura continued briskly down the hallway, her arms filled to capacity with numerous patient's folders. She had too many things to do, a break was simply out of the question. Anyone who suggested that she take some time off was immediately shunned for the rest of the day; she found herself becoming tired of the constant advice by the older medics. At least the younger ones knew not to say a word.

As she passed each room, patients and nurses alike peered at her through the doorways, speaking softly amongst themselves in hurried whispers - words she knew she didn't want to hear.

Besides, she knew exactly what they were saying.

Since returning a month earlier to her own timeline, Sakura had dived straight back into her job at the hospital. When she wasn't sleeping, bathing or eating; she was working. Despite the constant insistences from not only her colleagues but both Tsunade and Shizune as well, she hadn't taken a single day off, nor had she accepted any mission that had been offered to her.

With nothing to distract her mind, it would be prone to think about other things instead.

The hospital was her safe place. It was secure and always busy, leaving no time to sit around and mull about everything that had happened. Or certain people, for that matter. She hadn't seen a glimpse of Kakashi since she'd left his house in tears; any time someone mentioned his name she'd immediately vacate the room.

She couldn't think about him. She wouldn't even allow herself to think about him. The tears had come and gone, yet the pain remained. And if she didn't reflect on the whole situation, it didn't hurt so much.

Sometimes, it felt as if her journey to the past had just been an insane dream - or nightmare, depending on how she was feeling at the time. Then there were times where it was so painfully real, the experiences she had gone through, the amount of days she had spent in another timeline wanting nothing more than to come home which had slowly transformed into desiring to stay. Nothing else had changed since she had returned; then again, no-one else knew.

The loneliness was becoming unbearable and yet she couldn't even dare to consider bringing someone else into this mess with her.

Finally reaching her small, cramped office, Sakura dropped the multitude of files upon the wooden surface of her desk and then stretched out her arms, feeling the strain in her elbows. Knowing her energy was dwindling, she reached over to her desk drawer, pulling it open and retrieving a small dark sphere. Despite how awful she knew they tasted, she quickly popped the soldier pill in her mouth and chewed for a moment before swallowing, trying to keep the grimace of her face. No matter how much she detested them, soldier pills were the reason she was getting so much done at work. Nothing like an instant energy boost when she began to feel fatigued.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually bothered to make real food.

"Sakura, I'm relieving you. Go home and get some rest."

The stern voice that sounded from behind pinkette did not make her turn, despite the authoritive tone.

"I'm fine, Tsunade-shishou. I still have to go over these files and-"

The honey-haired woman's eyebrows knitted together. "That wasn't a request, Sakura. It was an order."

Sakura finally spun around to face her mentor, who couldn't help but note how frazzled her student had become lately. Her azalea locks were no longer in it's sleek bun; tendrils sticking out in all alternating directions and in clear need of a cut by the amount of split-ends that were visible. The circles under her eyes were not overly noticeable but it was obvious they were there, her alabaster skin losing it's usual glow.

"I can't just leave when I have all these files to go through." Sakura attempted again, indicating to the mass of paper that lay scattered across her desk.

"You know I don't like to play the Hokage card on you, but so help me Sakura if I have to organise for ANBU to arrest you and place you in custody just so you can spend some time outside of this hospital then I will." Tsunade responded, crossing her arms.

Sakura sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

Shrugging out of her white coat, she laid it on the chair next to the desk before letting her tresses out of it's bun, running her fingers through the slightly scraggly ends and making a mental note to wash her hair. She'd have to find things to keep her busy and well distracted at home; she was certain there were a few heavy textbooks she could go over again.

Saying nothing more to Tsunade, Sakura silently made her way out of the room, walking by her mentor without so much as a glance in acknowledgment. It was obvious she was unhappy with being forced to cease work for the day, but there was no arguing with the Hokage. She vaguely registered Shizune passing her with some kind of strained greeting, but her mind simply blocked it out and she continued down the corridor.

As she made her way out of the building, the sun stinging her eyes as they tried to adjust to the natural light, Sakura's mind began to kick into gear. She knew she was in a sorry state, and if her usual self could see her like this, there would most likely be a swift kick in the rear. Unfortunately, she couldn't see past her pain, her anguish; losing Kakashi was by far the most painful thing she had ever experienced.

And she'd been stabbed clean-through her abdomen by a puppeteer man-child wielding a sword laced with poison.

Before she knew it, Sakura was in the cemetery, a familiar headstone before her. Kneeling down, she brushed Rin's engraved name lightly with her fingertips, images of the smiling brunette swirling through her thoughts. She tried to make a habit of visiting Rin once a week; it was easy to lament to someone who couldn't tell her she was acting crazy, who couldn't lecture her, who knew some of what she had experienced.

"I forgot the flowers again. I'm sorry." Sakura began, taking in a deep breath. "I was going to come and see you tomorrow after work, but since Tsunade gave me the afternoon off and I had the free time, I thought I'd drop by. I really wish you were here, but then again if you were, you wouldn't remember me, you'd have your memories erased along with the others. I just hope everything is going well on your end, wherever you are."

Somehow, talking to a slab of marble was therapeutic for the pinkette; it eased her mind more than she originally could have fathomed. She didn't know if Rin could actually hear her, it was mostly unlikely unless her spirit liked to hang around her grave. Still, it felt good to vent, and she could almost hear Rin's responses echoing in the back of her mind.

She continued talking for a little while longer, until she eventually ran out of things to say. There was only one topic she would avoid at all costs; speaking about Kakashi never helped at all, it simply made her sorrow exponentially worse. Letting out a loud sigh, Sakura farewelled Rin and returned to her feet before slowly making her way through the cemetery, heading towards her apartment, her head down low, eyes to the ground.

"You look almost exactly how I remember you."

The voice sounded strangely familiar, and she could have sworn she hadn't heard it for years.

Instinctively raising her head and turning around to see just who had spoken, her eyes widened as they settled on the form of an older man who smiled kindly back at her, amusement in his handsome features. A long brunette ponytail was swept over his shoulder, and two rectangular markings of a royal purple hue adorned his cheeks.

"R-Ryou?" she asked incredulously, her mouth agape.

The man's grin widened, and before she could help herself Sakura had thrown her arms around his shoulders in a friendly hug, finding herself ecstatic to see him. They hadn't been particularly close, at least not as friendly as she and Rin had been, but to see him after everything made her exceptionally glad to see him. Of course, once she realised what she was doing she immediately withdrew her arms and stood back, cheeks flushed with sheer embarrassment.

Seeing Ryou suddenly made everything appear more real. It had only been two months or so that she had last seen him; yet she knew it had been many more for him. That he was standing before her, grinning amusedly just like he always had, almost made her brain hurt with the sudden rush of images - he and Rin blowing out their birthday candles, Ryou's body going into spasms on the operating table underneath her glowing green hands, his determined words at Rin's funeral.

It suddenly dawned on her that he was someone from her time in the past, and that he clearly remembered who she was. He and his family had left the village before the Hokage had made the decision to have the memories of her erased from those who had come into contact with her. She inwardly scolded herself for not thinking of Ryou, then again he'd moved elsewhere and she'd been aware that the chances of their paths meeting again were quite slim.

Sakura then realised that she looked the exact same age that he remembered her to be, fourteen years ago; concerns were most likely going to be raised.

"I can explain." she attempted, suddenly feeling nervous, unsure of where to exactly begin.

Ryou chuckled. "Don't worry, I know what happened, who you actually were…or should I say are? Kakashi told me everything; he needed to confide in someone and I was one of the only few people who could remember you as well."

The mention of Kakashi's name sent ice-cold shivers down Sakura's back, making her shiver slightly.

"He…he told you about me?" she asked softly, knowing she was going to regret bringing the Jōnin up later.

"Of course he did. I mean, he didn't go into details, but he explained that despite everything, with you coming from the future and all, you were really special to him. Which I guess is why he fought so hard to keep his memories, so you guys could be together again when the time came." Ryou added.

Sakura couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped her lips.

Her friend raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something? Are you and Kakashi not together?"

"When I came back and found out he remembered everything, I was ecstatic. I'd just left him a few hours earlier and it broke my heart, knowing that he hadn't forgotten raised my hopes, I finally thought that after everything we had gone through, all the pain we had both endured, we could finally be with one another, properly. Unfortunately, it seems that the last fourteen years have turned him into a bitter old man, and he rejected the idea, telling me he had decided we couldn't be together."

The shock was clear on Ryou's face.

"I never thought…I mean, he always seemed to certain that he'd wait, and happily, for you to come back, that no matter how much he suffered, it would be worth it. I never knew what a complete fool he'd become or what happened to change his mind; it's been a while since I visited last. I'm so sorry, Sakura."

The pinkette took in a sharp breath, trying to ignore the sympathy - she wasn't able to deal with it, not for this situation.

"I've dealt with it." she replied tonelessly, although it was evident that she hadn't.

"No-one deserves to be happy more than you, Sakura. I mean, I'll never be able to thank you enough for saving my life all those years ago, or for standing up for Rin at her funeral." Ryou exclaimed, trying his best to turn the conversation light once more.

Sakura managed a small smile. "I couldn't let you die, especially knowing how much it would affect Rin; and Takeo and Yuji needed to be told outright that their behaviour towards her had been disgusting, even if it was a little too late."

Ryou frowned slightly, and she could have sworn there was guilt in his features. She was well aware that he'd felt bad for never properly defending Rin against their brothers, but that didn't mean he was an awful person - he'd never been fully aware of how much the constant slandering had hurt his twin, she'd never allowed it to show and certainly hadn't discussed it with him under any circumstances.

The older man looked over his shoulder, towards the cemetery, before returning his chocolate eyes to Sakura. "Did you just visit her?"

"I try to stop by once a week. Is that why you're here?"

He nodded. "I come and see her for our birthday. I do it every year."

"Wasn't your birthday almost a month ago?" Sakura found herself frowning with confusion.

"I would have come sooner but my wife was in her final stages of pregnancy, I couldn't just leave her while she was in such a fragile state. Once the baby was born and everything was settled again, I quickly made the trip here. Luckily it's only a day's trip there and back, I couldn't bear to leave her for too long." Ryou explained.

"You have a wife now?" Sakura inquired, eyebrows raising with surprise.

The brunette chuckled. "Well, I am thirty-two, some of us don't stay eighteen forever. I've been married for ten years now, with two beautiful daughters and a brand-new son."

"That sounds really lovely, Ryou. I'm really glad to hear that you're doing so well, I'm sure Rin would be proud of you." Sakura told him, the corners of her lips quirking with a smile. "What about the rest of your family? Do Takeo and Yuji have wives now too?"

The air around them suddenly felt much colder as Ryou's features turned grave and he dropped his eyes to the ground.

"They're all gone. I'm the only one left now."

To say Sakura was surprised was a severe understatement. While she had never liked Rin's older brothers, she had certainly never wished death upon them. The smile left her lips as soon as it had appeared, and she moved closer to the older man, unsure of what exactly to say.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." she whispered, patting Ryou's shoulder gently.

"They came good in the end too. After your speech at Rin's funeral, they really thought about what you had said, and in time came to the realisation that they had both treated her poorly. It took them a while, but eventually they came to terms with it, and made sure that no-one in our family sullied her name again."

"Really?" Sakura asked incredulously, unable to fathom how the two would have undergone such a transformation.

Ryou nodded. "I almost didn't believe it at first, that it was all an act for the rest of us. Then one of my father's uncle's mentioned Rin as a disgrace…I've never seen Takeo so furious in my entire life, let alone say so many words at one time. I definitely think that losing Rin made them really think about things more to begin with, but what you said to them really hit home."

Sakura hadn't been expecting such a significant transformation from the two, but was glad they had come to realise that their sister was not deserving of their awful treatment over the years.

"Unfortunately, the village was attacked a few months later by a gang of rogue Mist shinobi. Takeo and Yuji managed to take most of them out, but not without the cost of their own lives. I killed the remaining men out of fury, realising that all my siblings were gone. It wasn't my proudest moment but I'd finally made peace with Rin gone and my brothers…to lose it all so soon…" the brunette continued, trailing off as he looked up at Sakura.

"I'm sorry, I'm delving into awful things when there's no need."

"It's fine Ryou, really. I just hope that wherever Rin is, Takeo and Yuji are with her and they've come together as a family and put their differences aside." she told him, nodding her head slightly.

"I hope so too." Ryou replied, a grin appearing on his lips once more.

Happy to see the smile reappearing on his face, Sakura couldn't help but mirror the expression before something crossed her peripheral vision. Turning her head slowly to the side to get a better look, she was surprised to see Ino slowly approaching them, a confused look on her pretty face as her cornflower blue eyes regarded the two friends.

Ryou noticed Sakura's averted gaze and turned around to discover the focus of her attention, also taking notice of the young blonde who was walking towards them at a brisk pace.

"A friend of yours?" he asked the pinkette, turning back to face her.

Sakura let out a sigh as she nodded. "And it looks like she's on a mission. I should probably go. It was really good to see you again Ryou, don't be a stranger, okay?"

He grinned at her before stepping forward and enveloping her another hug, this time squeezing tightly. She couldn't help but notice that his aroma reminded her of Rin's, yet more masculine - it was strange and yet comforting all at the same time.

"Don't you worry about Kakashi. He's an idiot." he muttered into Sakura's ear before letting her go, raising his hand in a silent farewell and then continuing on his way into the cemetery.

She watched his retreating form, trying to ignore the hope she had felt with his final words. She didn't want to hear anymore about Kakashi, even if it was pointing out how foolish the silver-haired man had become. She needed to move on to bigger and better things, and leave Kakashi where he literally belonged; in the past.

"I'm surprised to see you here Forehead, who was that guy you were talking to?" a voice broke Sakura from her thoughts.

The pinkette shifted her gaze to see Ino standing before her, hands settled on her hips, a slender eyebrow raised in questioning. If anyone had insatiable curiosity, it was Yamanaka Ino, Konoha's biggest gossip.

"He's an old friend." Sakura explained truthfully, a knowing smile creeping onto her lips.

"You got the old part right, but that doesn't explain how you know him Sakura. I've been friends with you for years and I've never seen him before; does he even live in Konoha?"

Sakura couldn't help but let out a sigh. Ino wasn't going to let this go until she got answers, and the pinkette wasn't so sure she was ready to give them.

"What are you doing here, Ino-pig?" she asked the blonde, hoping she would not notice the change of topic.

"I went to the memorial stone to speak to my father." Ino replied, crossing her arms. "Don't try to change the subject, Sakura. You can't just keep pushing us all away, we're all worried about you, you've been acting strangely for a while now. The only time I ever see you is when I'm at the hospital, and you never seem to have a spare moment to say more than two words to me."

Sakura bit her lip. "It's…complicated."

"Don't give me that, I'm one of your oldest and dearest friends. You should be able to share things like this with me, otherwise it will just stay pent up inside and you'll make yourself insane. And you're already crazy enough as it is." Ino retorted, unresisting.

Ignoring what she knew to be a playful taunt, Sakura realised that the blonde had a point. Keeping everything to herself was becoming too much for her to handle, and she didn't want it hanging over her head for the rest of her life.

A thought snapped inside her mind; one that was practically unthinkable at first, but quickly made absolute and total sense.

Yamanaka Ino was the perfect person to discuss her problems with.

She took in a deep breath. "Ino, I think it's time I told you everything."

* * *

To see Ino speechless was a rare sight indeed.

It seemed all the blonde could manage to do was stare at her azalea-haired friend with wide eyes and an agape mouth, unblinking and eerily silent.

Sakura couldn't help but ponder about what was going through Ino's head at that moment, although she'd been aware that her tale would be a cornucopia of information to process in such a short amount of time. It had taken her over an hour to go over everything properly, even missing certain details such as the night she lost her virginity. Even taking the time to have a shower and clean herself up hadn't fully prepared her for the loud-mouth kunoichi's peculiar reaction.

"Ino, are you alright?" she asked tentatively, concern in her tone.

The blonde finally blinked. "It's just…unbelievable."

"I know, I wouldn't have believed it myself if I didn't live through it." Sakura replied, knowing Ino wasn't calling her a liar, she was just finding it difficult to understand properly.

"And you fell in love with Kakashi-sensei?"

The mention of his name made Sakura's heart clench painfully, the use of the honorific somewhat ironic - she hadn't seen him as her sensei in quite a while. For months now he had simply been Kakashi to her, even the older incarnation had been viewed as her lover and no longer her former teacher.

"I did," she admitted, trying to keep her emotions at bay, "but I know he doesn't feel the same way anymore."

Ino remained silent once more, her petite nose scrunched up with thought.

Sakura inhaled deeply, knowing that this was her only chance. The more she had considered it, the more it appeared to be the best solution for her predicament, one that would most likely benefit everyone involved. She had to ask before the regret set in and she'd find herself backing out; she knew that it was for the better in the long run.

"Ino, when I was there…I saw Inochi."

Instantly the blonde's cornflower orbs began to glisten with welling tears as they snapped up to meet Sakura's viridian ones. Despite the fact that Inochi had been gone for almost two years, Ino still hadn't quit dealt with not having her father around. The two had been quite close, and despite the fact that Ino was seen to be more like her mother, she and her father were very alike in many ways; she'd always been a daddy's girl.

"Did…did you talk to him?" Ino inquired, her voice wavering with thick emotion.

Sakura nodded. "I told him that you were one of my best friends, that we were close like sisters; he seemed really happy to hear that, as well as a little freaked out, but that was to be expected. He said he knew you would always end up like your mother."

Ino let out a laugh that was mixed with a choking sob, tears now rolling down her cheeks freely as she mustered a smile. Sakura had been wary of sharing this information with the blonde, knowing that it would most likely make her upset, yet at the same time she was aware that it would make her day to hear about him whilst he was still alive; she and Shikamaru often visited Akimichi Chōza to hear tales about their fathers from their youth.

"There's more to it though…Inochi was the one assigned with erasing the memories of me from everyone who met me, and he offered to do the same with me if I felt it best when I returned. At first I was defiant that I wanted to remember it all, but with everything that's happened recently…I think it would be best if I did forget."

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Ino regarded the pinkette carefully. "What are you saying?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Inochi was the one who offered to use the technique on me, but we both know that's no longer possible. So what I'm trying to ask you is if you know the jutsu, and if so, would you be able to erase my memories?"

Ino was clearly taken aback, the tears gone from her eyes as she sat back in her chair.

"Sakura, are you sure about this? Once the memories have been removed, they can't be returned. You won't remember any of it, even the little details; you'll think you're still a virgin who's never been kissed. All those important moments in you life will no longer exist to you." she informed her friend, her face serious.

"I know it's the cowards way out, that by doing this I'm making myself weak all over again, that all my years of training to become strong will mean absolutely nothing, but it hurts, Ino. It's too painful to remember, and if I want to be the best shinobi I can be, I don't need to have all this emotional baggage that is nearly rendering me incapable of anything. It took me years to get over Sasuke, and that was only when he tried to kill me. I can't go through that again." Sakura explained, her eyes beginning to sting with unshed tears.

"I just want things to go back to the way they were before all of this."

Ino took a moment to think about what Sakura was asking of her before taking in a deep breath.

"If that's what you think is best, then that is what I will do. But only because I hate seeing you like this Sakura, and the longer it goes on, the more you will destroy yourself." she said softly, although it was obvious that she was hesitant.

Sakura nodded wordlessly, making sure she was ready for this. As Ino stood up from her seat and moved to stand behind the pinkette, her fingertips brushing against her temples, Sakura tried to keep herself calm, knowing that if she wanted this nightmare to end, this was the only way it would happen.

Inwardly, she was furious with herself for letting it progress this far, that she was so damaged and vulnerable; yet at the same time, no matter how hard she could punch someone or how accurately she could throw a kunai, she was always going to be emotionally fragile. That aspect of Haruno Sakura had remained unchanged throughout the years, the only difference was that she was more skilled at hiding it.

"Are you ready for this?" Ino asked her concernedly.

Sakura's features were set with determination.

"Yes."

Ino gulped. "Alright, this might be uncomfortable, so-"

A loud, insistent rapping of knuckles sounding from the other side of Sakura's front door interrupted the young blonde, who was thankful that her friend could not see the sheer relief that washed across her face. Sakura, on the other hand, found herself incredibly irritated that they had been disturbed, and hoped that if she didn't answer the door, whoever it was would get the message and leave.

They knocked again, this time with what sounded like more urgency. Sakura remained defiant and folded her arms across her chest, there was no way she was going to be answering that door.

Ino, however, saw it as a sign of divine intervention and withdrew her hands from Sakura's head, quickly striding over to the door.

"Ino-pig, don't answer it!" Sakura called out, almost pleading.

"I can't concentrate if they're going to keep knocking." Ino retorted before she grabbed the handle, turned it and unceremoniously threw open the door.

From where she was seated, Sakura couldn't see who was standing on her doorstep, all she could perceive was the pure shock that crossed Ino's features, her jaw dropping slightly as her eyes almost escaped their sockets. The reaction triggered Sakura's curiosity; just who was standing there that was so surprising to see?

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura felt her blood run cold as her stomach lurched uncomfortably. Her eyes darted around the room in search of some way to escape without him noticing, there was no way she could face him, especially not right now. All her windows were closed and locked with seals, there was no way she could leave without making too much of a fuss.

"Is Sakura in?" came the deep baritone voice that haunted her every thought, sending shivers down her spine.

There was no way she could do this.

She tried to gain Ino's attention without making any kind of noise that would alert her unwanted guest that she was indeed there, but to no avail. The blonde was focused purely on the man standing before the door, her face breaking into a smile that made Sakura feel incredibly uneasy.

"She's here." Ino practically cooed, finally glancing over at her friend, clearly ignoring the hateful look that was being sent in her direction.

Before Sakura could avert her eyes, Kakashi stepped through the doorway, directly in her line of sight. Her heart practically stopped as he turned to face her, his sole eye glued to her form intently.

"This is a really bad time." Sakura eventually found her voice, surprised at how hoarse it suddenly sounded. "Ino and I were just-"

"Actually, I just remembered that I had to help my mother out with the store, so don't mind me." the blonde interjected, looking almost furiously gleeful. "I'll come and check up on you later, Forehead."

Quickly moving her eyes between Sakura and Kakashi, Ino bounded out the door, closing it gently behind her. Now there was no chance of escape for Sakura as she averted her eyes from the silver-haired man's form, concentrating on the wooden floor as she mentally screamed at him to leave her alone.

She could hear Kakashi shuffle awkwardly as he moved slowly towards her.

"How are you?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

Sakura's eye shot up to glare at him; how could he ask her something like that?

"I've been just fine." she retorted.

Kakashi sighed in defeat.

"I know that's not true, Sakura."

She stood up from her chair abruptly and stalked across to the other side of the room, her back turned to him, her eyes fixated upon the window.

"Since when did you begin caring about my wellbeing?"

The bitterness in her sarcastic tone surprised Sakura, this was definitely a side of herself that she'd never experienced before; which meant that Kakashi hadn't either. She hated herself for letting him get to her so easily, but she still wasn't going to become a sobbing emotional mess in front of him again. He'd seen enough of her tears.

"Since when did you think I didn't?" he answered back, his tone questioning.

Sakura closed her eyes - she wasn't going to willingly enter an argument with him. She simply didn't have the energy for it.

"Why are you here Kakashi?" she asked him softly, still turned away from him.

She could hear him approaching her cautiously, and clenched her hands into fists. If he even so much as tried to touch her in any way, he would find himself knocked into next week.

"I…I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you showed up at my place. Actually, to be honest, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for fourteen years." he admitted softly, standing directly behind her.

"I apologise for plaguing your mind." Sakura bit back, spinning around to walk past him without a glance as she moved towards the door. "Now that you've told me feel free to leave-"

A hand suddenly grasped her wrist tightly, out of surprise Sakura attempted to break free of the grip, but to no avail. Her eyes moved to Kakashi's visible one, in her rage she could not determine the emotion that swirled within it's obsidian depths, instead she aimed her free hand towards his face. Before her hit could land however, he swiftly grabbed that wrist too, lowering it so that her arms were crossed over, both limbs held firm by his gloved hands.

She took in a deep breath, cursing herself for not being able to control the moisture that began to build in her eyes, stinging as her vision blurred. Looking up at him, the hurt clear in her features, she ceased struggling in his grasp, her arms falling limp although he did not release them.

"What do you want from me, Kakashi?" she implored, her voice defeated.

"I need you to listen to me. That's all. Just listen to what I have to say, and I'll leave and never come back, if that's what you so desire." Kakashi replied.

Sakura nodded blankly, her wrists aching as he released them. She made no indication that she was going to move away from him, her eyes falling to the floor once more. Yes, she would listen to him, but that didn't mean she had to look at him - the sight of him standing so close before her was driving her crazy.

No matter how hurt she was by his actions, and how much she desperately wanted to hate him for breaking her heart, she knew she couldn't. All she could think about when she saw him was how much she loved him; absolutely. His shaggy mane made her want to run her fingers through it's silver strands, his hands made her desire to lace her fingers between his and never let go, his infernal mask made her need to pull it down to his throat and kiss his bare, perfect lips.

Even his aroma which swirled in the air around her made her body react, the tingling sensation running across her skin like a light electrical current. Her heart beat loudly and painfully as her chest felt constricted; it took more effort for her to breathe properly. His heat was practically radiating from his skin despite the layers of clothes he wore, her fingers twitched with the ache of needing to touch him.

Sakura was keeping control of herself, but she wasn't sure how long she would be able to last before she made a complete and utter fool of herself yet again.

Kakashi let out another sigh before he finally spoke, his voice low and deep. "I wanted to…apologise for the last time we saw each other. Despite my famed genius, I can be a downright fool at times; that was definitely one of those times."

As soon as the small hint of hope began to rise up in her body, Sakura instantly quashed it. There was no time for fantasising about something that would certainly not happen, she had to protect herself and start looking at things realistically. The apology had been a nice way to start off his speech, but the rest of it just sounded like jumbled words to her.

"Your point?' she asked, scolding herself for the cold tone.

Hands appeared on her shoulders, warm and gentle as his fingers brushed against her skin lightly. Sakura automatically stiffened from the sudden gesture, feeling the tears beginning to build up once more as her self control began to slip. He always had this effect on her, even with everything that had happened he could still bring down her barriers effortlessly.

"I'm sorry that it took me so long to realise that even after all this time, the suffering I've endured without you by my side for fourteen years, I truly do love you Sakura, and I always have; nothing will ever be able to get in the way with that. There's every chance that we will cop a lot of backlash from everyone by being together, but if you can handle that, then so can I."

Sakura's head jerked up to look at Kakashi, his words echoing through her thoughts as she tried to process exactly what he had just told her. A solemn tear escaped her left eye and rolled down her cheek, but she was too astounded to even notice.

"Are...are you saying that you actually want to be with me?" she breathed, trembling slightly underneath his hands, almost afraid to allow herself to believe it.

Kakashi's eye crinkled with what she knew to be a smile hidden beneath the dark blue material of his mask. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Unable to hold back her emotion any longer, the tears began to flow freely as Sakura bowed her head, her hands moving to his flak jacket as she clenched the material tightly in an attempt to keep herself standing up straight. This was all she had wanted, finally all those months she'd endured and the years he had suffered would mean something.

She loved him more than anything else in the entire universe, with such integrity that words couldn't even come close to describing it.

With a sniffle, Sakura raised her head once more to look up at Kakashi, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"What caused this sudden change of heart?" she asked, finding herself curious to know.

Kakashi closed his eye. "I was visited by an old friend."

"Ryou." Sakura exclaimed, her mind clicking.

"He showed up on my doorstep, demanding to know why I had turned you down. Let's just say he's the one who knocked some sense into me."

"Remind me to thank him later." the pinkette whispered, moving closer to Kakashi as his hands slid down her arms, settling upon her hips.

"Will do." he muttered in return as Sakura's fingertips moved up to touch the edge of his mask, pausing for a moment before pulling the material down slowly.

She let out a deep breath; she'd forgotten just how handsome Kakashi really was, and age had only amplified that fact. There were more scars and aged lines etched into his skin than she remembered, but it only served to make him more attractive. However, on the side of his jaw she could see slight swelling underneath his skin, and looked at her lover questionably.

"When I say Ryou knocked some sense into me, I didn't just mean figuratively." Kakashi explained sheepishly.

Sakura smirked. "Definitely remind me to thank him."

A smile appeared on his lips; the one she loved so much, crooked and perfect. She pulled herself closer to Kakashi, her torso pressing against his as her hands snaked through his moonlight locks, his nose barely touching hers as his warm breath fanned across her face.

"I love you." she told him earnestly, truthfully, her heart practically soaring with joy.

"I love you too." he replied before his lips slanted across her own.

Sakura could have sworn her toes were curling as the fire blazed through her system, one of his hands moving to the small of her back as he pulled her even closer, the other moving to tangle his fingers in her petal-coloured tresses. She moaned softly against his mouth with pure satisfaction and elation, spurning him on as he nipped at her bottom lip playfully, earning himself a low whimper. Again and again their lips crashed against one another's until the need for air broke them apart momentarily, and Sakura could have sworn she was floating.

Finally, everything in the world made sense again.

* * *

Sakura admired her reflection in the mirror, noting how the white satin material of her kimono rippled in a beautiful way as she moved. She could hear Ino muttering under her breath behind her as she fussed over the pinkette's elaborate hairstyle, making sure there wasn't a single strand out of place.

Beside her sat Hinata, who simply looked stunning in her own kimono of a maroon hue that Sakura had chosen for both her and the blonde. She remained silent with a smile on her face as she looked up at Sakura, who returned the gesture with a broad grin.

"Are y-you excited Sakura?" the Hyūga heiress asked suddenly, her voice soft.

The pinkette would have nodded but that would most likely ruin her hair and send Ino into a complete meltdown. "I'm nervous and excited at the same time." she admitted, glancing back at herself in the mirror.

"Well, it's b-been a tough road for you to get h-here." Hinata replied, her cheeks flushing, most likely because she believed herself for talking out of place.

"Yeah." she agreed, letting out a sigh.

It had been two years since that fateful afternoon when Kakashi had come to her place and asked her to be with him, two years since he'd made her the happiest girl in all of Konoha. At first they had considered keeping the relationship a secret for the first few months before telling all their friends, but Ino had interfered with those short-lived plans by hinting at it to everyone they knew. It wasn't long until the entire village knew that Hatake Kakashi was dating not only a much younger woman but that she was also his former student.

Luckily, Ino had enough sense to keep the rest of the story to herself.

At first, the reaction had been as they expected - friends were shocked and couldn't even begin to fathom how it had happened, colleagues were wary of them and villagers gossiped and whispered amongst themselves as they walked past. Sakura had been forced to protect Kakashi's honour several times when their friends had threatened to punish him for taking advantage of her, no-one ever seemed to believe that she was a willing participant in the relationship.

The worst reaction by far was definitely that of Tsunade, who had at first appeared calm and collected as Sakura and Kakashi had jointly informed her of their changed relationship, only to then lecture the silver-haired Jōnin about treating her apprentice carefully and to use protection; that there was no way she was going to let him get away with it if Sakura ended up pregnant.

She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so mortified.

Over time however, everyone seemed to eventually accept that they were together and were actually happy, even some begrudgingly. The chemistry and love between them was obvious, Ino noted on numerous occasions that she'd never seen her friend so happy before. Kakashi moved in with her after a year of dating as her place was much bigger and they spent the majority of their time together there anyway.

On her twentieth birthday, he'd gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

Which had led to today; Sakura dressed up elegantly in a wedding kimono as Ino finally completed the finishing touches on her hair. Somehow, it suddenly felt more real, that this day had finally come and was actually happening. Her heart began to thud and her skin began to prickle, she was overjoyed and yet apprehensive.

She loved him. She could do this.

Ino moved to her other side as Hinata rose from her seat, both looking at the pinkette in the mirror with matching smiles of reassurance.

"Are you ready for this Forehead?" Ino asked, winking cheekily at her friend with the use of her child-hood nickname.

"I am." Sakura replied, taking in a deep breath to steady herself.

"Y-you look beautiful Sakura." Hinata commented, her cheeks flushing again.

Ino nodded.

"It's time for you to go and make an honest man out of Hatake Kakashi."

It was going to be a very long day, that was for sure.

And Haruno Sakura couldn't have been happier.

**THE END.**

* * *

_Here's four things you should know;_

_**1.**__ Ryou was originally not in this chapter, but I realised I needed to tie up that loose end, and he became the perfect catalyst for Kakashi coming to his senses and returning to Sakura. Also, I wanted to give him a proper send off - I rather adore him, even though he is an original character._

_**2.**__ The end segment on the day of Sakura and Kakashi's wedding was also added at the last minute; I wanted to give it a nice little follow up without being too over the top. I think it fits in nicely and gives you an idea of how things went after they finally got together at the end of everything, I just hope it wasn't over sappy._

_**3.**__ I had originally planned on Sakura falling pregnant which would turn into a sequel, but I decided against it. I felt that this story was complete enough on it's own, and some of my ideas for the sequel will be recycled in future stories of mine. Also, the timeline was a little bit off and it was going to became too complicated to try and sort it all out and still make sense._

_**4.**__ Definitely the most difficult chapter for me to write, especially as I kept becoming upset throughout it. It's tough to say goodbye, but I'm glad I could finish the story._

* * *

_Now, onto some questions that were asked in reviews for the last chapter:_

_**Wolfsis **__asked;_

Do you write any of your love stories from your own life? You know how some writers are they will put a piece of their own life into the story do you do that?

_I wish my love life was as interesting as this, but no, I don't write my stories from personal experience (at least not yet anyway). I guess the closest I would be is knowing the extent of Sakura's unrequited feelings for Sasuke, I was in love with a boy for four years in high school even though I knew he didn't return my feelings. Of course, I eventually came to my senses and moved on. Perhaps soon in the future I will write something that does reflect my own experiences, as a former foster child I've had many of them, both good and bad._

_**CaelanWorld**__ asked;_

What exactly inspired you to write this fic? Ex. love the pairing, love the genre, noticed there weren't a lot of these types of fics...read someone else's story?

_I've been interested in the pairing of Kakashi and Sakura for a while now, reading other fanfics but never being really sure what kind of story I could contribute to the fandom. Then I saw some time-travel stories that caught my interest (I'm a massive Doctor Who fan) and decided to have a look, but I found that there were quite a few that just didn't quite intrigue me or had a very wobbly plot. I like well-written stories that develop over time and have a lot of thought, I was disappointed to find that some didn't seem to have consequences for someone's time in the past - that they could openly declare who they were without considering the risks it would have on their timeline and everyone else just seemed to accept it without a blink of an eye. So, I decided that I would try my hand at the idea, and see what interesting plot-points and scenarios I could create whilst staying true to the rules of time-travel. And then this story was born._

_Also, the song 'Unbroken' by Stan Walker (feel free to look it up on YouTube) was a contributing factor not only for the title - the lyrics are beautiful and I loved the idea that Kakashi was 'broken' when Sakura met him in the past, and over time fixed him up so he was now 'unbroken'. _

I want to know. ALSO. could you recommend some other good Sakura time-travel stories?

_I'm sure there are plenty of ones out there, I just don't know their names. However, there's actually a community archive of time-travel fics that are Sakura-centric (this one included) called 'Wibbly Wobbly Time-y Wime-y' so be sure to take a look!_

_**starcup665**__ asked;_

So, did you plan everything from the start?

_The majority of this story was planned out from the beginning, mostly the backbone of the general plot. Several scenes changed over the course of writing; some were deleted and others were added. I always knew how it would end however, with Kakashi rejecting her in the second last chapter and then coming to his senses in the final. After all the two had been through, I had to allow them a happy ending._

Is there anything you would change about the story, looking back on it?

_I definitely need to go back and change some typos, but overall I'm pretty pleased with how it all went. I just wish I had known more about Rin's background before I started writing so it could be more canon - then again she was only fourteen when she was killed and I couldn't bring myself to write about fourteen-year olds falling in love and being placed in such mature situations (I'm a firm believer that while you're young, you should enjoy being young and stop trying so hard to become an adult, especially as you only get eighteen years of being young and at least fifty years of being an adult). Also, Rin was an important character in the story to begin with, I couldn't simply omit her. She was the link between Sakura and the younger Kakashi, and unknowingly brought them together._

* * *

_Now that I've answered those, I can begin my rambling speech. First of all; __**THANK YOU**__ to everyone who has been reading this story. It really humbles me to know that you have been loving this story as much as I have loved writing it and sharing it with you. I know I've said it several times but I honestly never believed that Unbroken would get as much interest as it has, and your support has been phenomenal._

_To all my reviewers - you guys are the true lifeblood of this story. Without your input and lovely words of praise, there's a good chance I would have given up on this a long time ago. I always look forward to hearing your thoughts and a smile appears on my face every time I receive a review. There aren't enough words to describe how much your continued support means to me personally; I have low self confidence issues and with every review I received it raised significantly. I love each and every one of you for taking the time to express your thoughts, especially my regulars (those of you who review on pretty much every single chapter). _

_As a way of expressing my gratitude, I'm planning on writing up a one-shot of snippets of this story through Kakashi's eyes, including the time he spent without Sakura whilst dealing with her younger self. Mostly the important moments, I thought it might be a nice way to wrap things up entirely and I know there have been numerous times that reviewers express their wishes to know how he was feeling during those times. I don't know when I'll have it done but hopefully it won't take too long - so keep your eye out for it._

_A special shout-out goes to __**Prescripto13**__ who has been following Unbroken since it's infancy and has reviewed every single chapter without fail - I always find myself looking forward to hearing from you and I can't thank you enough for your consistent support and kind words._

_Happy birthday__** czarleigh**__, hope you enjoyed your present!_

_Once again, thank you to everyone. You are all amazing and I'm sending out internet hugs to each and everyone of you. Until next time._

_-Star_


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